By Jonas Terrado
Game Friday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7 p.m. — TNT KaTropa vs San Miguel
(San Miguel leads series 3-2)
Series Summary:
Game 1 — TNT KaTropa 109, San Miguel 96
Game 2 — San Miguel 127, TNT KaTropa 125 (2OT)
Game 3 — TNT KaTropa 115, San Miguel 105
Game 4 — San Miguel 106, TNT KaTropa 101
Game 5 — San Miguel 99, TNT KaTropa 94
San Miguel Beer is hell bent on closing out TNT KaTropa Friday and winning the PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown in Game 6 of their title series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
San Miguel Beer’s Chris McCullough celebrates with his teammates after scoring a basket that put the Beermen up late in Game 5 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals. (Rio Leonelle Deluvio)
The Beermen go for the clincher at 7 p.m. after claiming the last two games, including a stirring comeback from a 16-point deficit to take a 99-94 victory last Wednesday.
Coach Leo Austria said SMB is determined to take advantage of every chance possible and prevent TNT from forcing a deciding seventh game.
“If they (TNT) give us an opportunity to grab the title, we will not allow them,” Austria said during Wednesday’s postgame interview which led to a bold declaration from his import Chris McCullough.
“We’ll win this s***. We’re gonna win this s***,” said McCullough, prompting Austria to make a light-hearted laugh.
McCullough was among the heroes of the Beermen’s rally from an 85-69 deficit with 10:39 left in the fourth, scoring 19 of his 35 in that period including a layup that put them up 95-94.
But the biggest factor in the win was the way Christian Standhardinger held TNT reinforcement Terrence Jones to just three free throws made with three turnovers since replacing June Mar Fajardo with over seven minutes left in the fourth.
Standhardinger is hoping to replicate his role of neutralizing Jones while Fajardo hopes to make his presence felt on offense along with Terrence Romeo, who has suddenly entered the Finals MVP discussion after scoring 22 points in Game 5.
The scoring productions of Alex Cabagnot and Chris Ross will also be important in the Beermen’s bid to bag a second straight crown and open talks of a possible Grand Slam.
TNT coach Bong Ravena, who described the loss as a “sorry lesson,” and consultant Mark Dickel are hoping to make their team respond in a big way and shrug off the effects of the Game 5 meltdown.
“We can’t lose any more games. We gotta come ready to win,” Dickel said.
Tags: Chris McCullough , Leo Austria , Mark Dickel , PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals , San Miguel Beermen , TNT Katropa
