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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider SMB rides late fourth quarter surge to finish off Magnolia

SMB rides late fourth quarter surge to finish off Magnolia

Published Feb 14, 2024 02:31 pm

At A Glance

  • Trailing for the most part of the contest, the Beermen drilled timely triples down the stretch to finish off Magnolia, 104-102, in Game 6 and claim the 2023-'24 PBA Commissioner's Cup crown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, Feb. 14.

San Miguel made sure to display the heart of a champion on Valentine's Day.

PBA Images8 (46).jpg
CJ Perez is SMB's hero in Game 6. (PBA Images)

Trailing for the most part of the contest, the Beermen drilled timely triples down the stretch to finish off Magnolia, 104-102, in Game 6 and claim the 2023-’24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Jericho Cruz, Chris Ross and CJ Perez nailed three straight triples that capped a furious fourth quarter onslaught from the Beermen that proved to be enough to erase a double-digit deficit and hoist the franchise’s record-extending 29th crown.

Perez lived up to his Best Player of the Conference distinction, shrugging off foul trouble in the first half to still finish with a playoffs career-high 28 points. The high-flying guard actually poured in 24 of his total in the last two quarters – none bigger than the booming triple that gave SMB a four-point cushion, 103-99, with 48 seconds left.

June Mar Fajardo was also a force underneath with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds while Bennie Boatwright made up for a poor shooting, a measly 8-of-24 clip from the field, with an all-around game of 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.

Magnolia refused to go down without a fight as Aris Dionisio nailed a triple of his own to keep Magnolia within striking distance but the Hotshots failed to complete a stop on the other end even after Perez botched two crucial free throws.

Cruz grabbed the rebound and wasted precious time on the clock before getting sent to the foul line. He split his charities but that proved to be enough to hold off Magnolia and give SMB head coach Jorge Gallent his first PBA title in his first conference at the helm.

Heroes were also plenty for the Beermen with Cruz and Don Trollano finishing with 12 and 10 points, respectively, while Ross, who was misfiring all throughout the conference, had nine points to his name.

Paul Lee paced the Hotshots with 25 points but was not enough to keep his team at the driver's seat despite leading by as many as 11 points early in the payoff period. Tyler Bey also had 18 points and eight rebounds while Ian Sangalang finished with 16 points all in a losing effort.

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