Diamond Stone finally lived up to his name and showed his true worth with a huge bounce back game to lead San Miguel to a 113-105 victory over Rain or Shine in the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City on Sunday, Oct.9.
After a subpar performance in his debut after he was tapped as a late replacement to original choice Thomas Robinson, Stone seemed to have finally adjusted well with the Beermen and posted 42 points and 13 rebounds.
He joined hands with CJ Perez and June Mar Fajardo in making sure that SMB won’t fall to the same trap of complacency which cost them the game against Blackwater in its debut.
Stone, Fajardo and Perez combined for 27 of the SMB’s 28 fourth quarter points to establish the much-needed separation against a hard-fighting Elasto Painters side which, on the other hand, banked on their depth and young guns to keep in step with the defending champions.
Fajardo showed might with 21 points and eight rebounds while Perez, after being limited to just four points in the first three quarters, managed to finish with 13 points.
The Beermen actually trailed by three early in the payoff period before a Perez layup and triple triggered the massive rally that turned the tides to their favor. Gian Mamuyac tried to carry the fight once more for Rain or Shine after giving the lead back to the Elasto Painters with a trey but SMB fought back with 10 unanswered points which practically put the game to rest.
Steve Taylor Jr. paced the ROS with 20 points and 18 rebounds while Rey Nambatac added 19. Five other players scored in twin digits for the Elasto Painters but all went for naught as SMB, behind Stone and Fajardo, feasted inside the paint in the final frame following the ejection of ROS burly big man Beau Belga due to an F2 infraction.