While San Miguel Beer (SMB) is on the brink, Meralco is sailing safely.
The Beermen bowed anew to the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, but the Bolts bolted past powerhouse TNT Gigang Tropa in Sunday’s (March 26, 2023) encounters ending in contrasting scripts.
Ginebra gunned up an early 18-1 lead, floored the pedal next with impunity for a 24-point blowout before settling for a 121-103 romp over a thoroughly demolished SMB crew.
The sellout crowd at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City started leaving even with still nearly five minutes left as the Gin Kings cruised to a second straight rout of the Beermen for a 2-0 lead in their PBA Governors’ Cup best-of-five semifinal series.
Minus a miracle, San Miguel Beer might suffer its second straight semifinal exit on Wednesday (March 29), the way it did in the Commissioner’s Cup preceding the ongoing Conference.
But not Meralco, whose 124-117 overtime win over the highly favored TNT evened their semis series at 1-1 that instantly made Bolts coach Norman Black pregnant with pride.
“We are playing the No. 1 seed team [TNT], so every game is gonna be tough for us,” said Black. “It’s just their second loss this entire second conference and nothing’s gonna be easy. If you look at their lineup, they’re loaded. So, every game’s gonna be competitive.”
While the fiery Mikey Williams went scoreless in the final frame, what really hurt TNT was when its import, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, missed a free throw with six seconds left for a 112-deadlock that set up the five-minute extension.
And while TNT’s total of three threes were duds in overtime, Meralco’s Aaron Black made six of his 28 points in a crucial streak in the extension to more than back up the 39 points, 20 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and three steals of Bolt import KJ McDaniels.
But if Norman Black was euphoric, Tim Cone was shocked.
“I’m totally shocked at how well my guys played in Game 2,” said Cone. “Really shocked and obviously really pleased.”
Gin King Scottie Thompson alone had a triple double of 21 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
But Cone sees the absence of SMB’s June Mar Fajardo (knee injury) as a major factor why Ginebra is up 2-0.
“It would be a lot different if June Mar were playing,” Cone said.
He can say that again.