WITH bail-out basket from Marcio Lassiter, San Miguel Beer completed a stirring come-from-behind win over Phoenix Super LPG to start its campaign in the PBA Commissioner's Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila Tuesday night
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From a perfect pick from Quincy Miller, Lassiter found himself open and rifled in the biggest shot of the game from the flank as the Beermen pulled off a 107-104 steal of a win over the Fuel Masters.
The Fuel Masters actually still had 2.3 seconds to salvage the game from but threw it away.
Then drawing a desperation foul, Simon Enciso knocked in both charities as the Beermen squeezed through and sent the Fuel Masters reeling to a third straight defeat despite a 37-point explosion from Donovan Smith.
Behind the big game of their import, the Fuel Masters roared to a 16-point spread at 87-71 only to melt down in the clutch and stay winless with earlier defeats at the hands of Eastern and Meralco.
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Also going down the drain was the 43-point combined output of Tyler Tio and Jason Perkins.
Lassiter fired a total of 15, including the game-winner, personally giving Juami Tiongson and Andreas Cahilig - transferees from Terrafirma - a triumphant first outing in a San Miguel uniform.
Tiongson logged 22 minutes and seven seconds in his SMB debut and collected eight points, five rebounds and two assists while Cahilig played 13 minutes and 40 seconds, and punched in 12 markers plus four boards.
CJ Perez (18 points), Miller (14 plus 10 rebounds) and Don Trollano were the other Beermen finishing in double figures as June Mar Fajardo struggled for eight but with 16 rebounds.
The Beermen needed a 36-24 closing barrage to pull through.(SB)
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The scores:
San Miguel 107 - Perez 18, Lassiter 15, Miller 14, Trollano 14, Cahilig 12, Cruz 8, Tiongson 8, Fajardo 8, Enciso 5, Ross 3, Brondial 2, Tautuaa 0.
Phoenix 104 - Smith 37, Tio 23, Perkins 21, Tuffin 7, Jazul 4, Rivero 4, Garcia 3, Manganti 3, Ballungay 2, Ular 0, Camacho 0, Verano 0, Alejandro 0.
Quarterscores: 28-29, 54-49, 71-80, 107-104
