Devon Scott and June Mar Fajardo had 20-point games to beat the Bay Area Dragons in Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.
Unlike most powerhouse teams, the San Miguel Beermen seem to love being on the ropes.
And for the fourth time this season, the Beermen were able to dodge the scythe of elimination and launch a massive blow to get back in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series against the Bay Area Dragons.
“Kasi do-or-die na kami, kailangan namin ilabas lahat ng nasa tank namin. Buti nakuha namin 'yung panalong ‘to,” said June Mar Fajardo, who finished with 21 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the pulsating 98-96 win over the Dragons in Game 3 on Sunday.
Indeed, it was a team effort.
Simon Enciso fired 16 points including the booming triple with 10.8 ticks remaining that gave the Beermen the victory. CJ Perez had 17 markers, while Terrence Romeo added 13 built on two three-pointers.
SMB import Devon Scott poured 25 points on top of 14 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and 2 blocks. But his best moment came on the defensive end after his “game-winning block” on Kobey Lam in the dying seconds.
“Devon is really focused on this game. I think that was a winning block. Kasi last time they beat us on a layup by Kobey Lam. This time he did not allow it,” SMB head coach Leo Austria said, referring to Lam’s game-winning layup in the series opener.
But while it was a refreshing victory for the Beermen, they still trail the Bay Area, 2-1, in the best-of-five series. The Beermen still need to win two do-or-die games to complete another “Beeracle.” But Austria and his wards are up for the seemingly insurmountable challenge.
“They have an experienced coach so we can never rest against this team. We have to remain focused. This is a good challenge for the team dahil alam nila kalaban namin guest team so at least we should give them a good fight,” Austria said.