After hammering impressive wins, San Miguel Beer and Magnolia march to warpath anew to shoot for momentum-building victories over separate foes in Game 2 of their respective Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup best-of-five semifinal series today at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Beermen battle Barangay Ginebra at 4 p.m. while the Hotshots collide with Phoenix Super LPG at 8 p.m. for victories that will give them 2-0 leads and put them a win away from advancing to the best-of-seven finals of this season-opening conference.
The Hotshots flexed their defensive muscles in their 82-79 win over the Fuel Masters in Game 1 last Wednesday as they managed to hold high-scoring import Johnathan Williams scoreless in the first half en route to a forgettable 11-point outing. He, however, made up for his lack of scoring by pulling down 18 rebounds and dishing out seven assists.
Aside from Magnolia’s tough defense, it was also obvious that Williams didn’t have lift in his movements and greatly struggled chasing loose balls.
“The coaching staff of Phoenix noticed it,” a Phoenix team insider said, speaking on condition of anonymity for lack of authority from head coach Jamike Jarin.
“We couldn’t tell what’s wrong with him, although he’s saying that everything is alright even when we know that it’s not. It manifested in his game.”
But Jarin offered a different take.
“You have to give credit to the defense of Magnolia,” Jarin told Daily Tribune.
“They were doubling him early and they did a great job disrupting his offensive game.”
With Williams far from perfect form, he needs all the support he can get, especially at the defensive end in which the Hotshots posted more fastbreak and second-chance points.
“We need to do a better job limiting their fast break points as well as their second chance points, so if you’re going to combine them, that’s already 28 points. Had we cut it down to half, we could have even won the game,” Jarin said.
“Still, I’m pleased with the effort we had shown as there were positive takeaways that we can bring on to Game 2.”
Also seeking to erect a 2-0 lead are the Beermen, who threaded the eye of a needle before booking a scary 92-90 win over the Kings in Game 1.
Star playmaker Terrence Romeo was not around in Game 1 due to an ankle injury, but there’s a possibility for him to suit up for the all-important Game 2.
“I’m excited and motivated to help San Miguel in the series, but hopefully, I’ll be fit enough to play next time around,” Romeo, who missed several games this season due to shin injury, said.
