June 25, 2017

Beermen topple Ka Tropa in Game 3, lead series 2-1

San Miguel Beer continued to show its championship class versus TNT KaTropa in an intense battle, fashioning out a 109-97 win to grab the 2-1 lead in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday.

Even with import Charles Rhodes on the bench with five fouls, the Beermen unleashed a crucial attack entering the homestretch and went on to nail a follow-up to their 102-88 victory in Game Two.

San Miguel seeks the pivotal 3-1 at the resumption of the series at 7 p.m. Wednesday also at the Big Dome.

Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter, Arwind Santos and June Mar Fajardo opened a 99-88 SMB lead then Rhodes returned to the floor to help the Beermen complete the decisive win.

Rhodes came through with a double-double game with 25 points and 20 rebounds, with Ross, Lassiter and Alex Cabagnot had their significant contributions for the Beermen who struck hard in the second half.

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Jason Castro, RR Garcia and Josh Smith spearheaded TNT’s challenge. Curiously, RR Pogoy remained practically missing in action, finishing with a big fat egg for the second game in a row.

A heated confrontation between Ross and Ryan Reyes midway through the second period nearly escalated into a brawl in an accident curiously involving TNT import reserves Mike Myers and Mike Craig.

The two earlier figured in a thrash-talking tussle with Ross and other SMB players, and had to be ejected from the VIP row. They then transferred behind the TNT bench, and figured in an altercation with SMB personalities on the way to the dugout at the halftime break.

The first half was a fierce, intense battle where no team led by more than nine.
The Beermen led by nine at 32-25 before the Texters unloaded a 22-10 salvo to race ahead at 47-42.

A slam by Rhodes and a basket by Brian Heruela on a drive narrowed down their deficit to 46-47 at the turn.
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Garcia and Cabagnot engaged in an exciting matchup in the first half with the TNT guard striking with 15 markers as against the SMB playmaker’s 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and one block.

Lassiter started the game with a three-pointer – his first in the series after going 0-of-11 from the arc in Game One then missing an attempt in Game Two.

Early in the third, Lassiter converted a tough, awkward twinner giving SMB a first double-digit spread at 62-52.