Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The San Miguel Beermen showed Wednesday why they finished on top of the standings at the end of the elimination round against TNT KaTropa, 111-98.
It was the first game of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup’s semifinal series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Marcio Lassiter paced San Miguel with 22 points, while June Mar Fajardo added on 21.
The Beermen got off to a blistering start in the semifinals matchup, opening up the game on a 10-2 run.
San Miguel drilled in seven three-point bombs in the opening frame, as they built a commanding 32-16 advantage headed into the second quarter.
But the KaTropa would not be had so easily, and fought to trim the deficit to 40-35 halfway through the second period.
Unfortunately for TNT, they could not douse the hot hands of the Beermen, who buried an additional five from beyond the arc to secure a 46-36 lead at halftime.
The second half did not provide any respite for the KaTropa, as San Miguel continued to wax hot and stretched their lead up to 74-89 in the final frame.
Kelly Williams did his best to keep TNT in the game, and managed to reduce the deficit to 95-88 with 6:08 left to play.
But an Alex Cabagnot triple quickly ended all hopes of a TNT comeback, 100-88, as San Miguel cruised to a game one victory.
Jayson Castro finished with a game high of 27 markers for the KaTropa, while Williams chipped in with 24.
After the game, San Miguel head coach Leo Austria paid tribute to how his team secured the first game of the series.
“They know how to win, they understand how to win,” Austria admitted. “They are playing like an orchestra.”
The KaTropa will have a chance to even the series on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
