SMB triumphs over winless Hotshots

“Final: 113 – 92 in favor of the San Miguel Beermen! Best Player: Arwind Santos with 29 points, 7/11 3PT FGs and 11/17 FGs #PBALabanKungLaban” (Photo: PBA/Facebook)

Arwind Santos was 7-for-11 shooting behind the arc for the Beermen as he led the way for his team at 29 points, while Terrence Romeo proved he is starting to build chemistry with his teammates as he contributed 23 points. Most Valuable Player (MVP) June Mar Fajardo also provided 22 points and eight rebounds. Alex Cabagnot, with 11 points, moved up the PBA all-time assists lists through the game from the ninth to the eighth spot with a total of 3,130 dimes.

For Magnolia, Ian Sangalang provided 19 points, four steals, and two blocks, while Paul Lee and Rome dela Rosa contributed 16 points and 14 points respectively.

SMB Coach Leo Austria told the press after the game, “Tonight’s game, that’s the game of the players. They really focused on this game because they know that Magnolia is a championship team also and everybody responded.” He added in Filipino, “They know that our backs are against the wall because it’s hard to be 3-4 with four games remaining. With this win, we still have a chance to make it to the top two.”

As for Romeo, who is proving that he still wants to retain his title as the three-time scoring champion shared, “I still have a lot to learn,” referring to his comeback. In his words, “I’m also thinking on how to blend in with the team and process that. I cannot be content with only one or two games because that is not my goal.” The former Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraw concluded, “Our goal is to go where we want to go. So, for us to get there, I have to be consistent. We all have to be consistent.”

The next time Magnolia will see action is on February 13 at the Mall of Asia Arena against the Rain or Shine Elastopainters, while the San Miguel Beermen have more than a month of break, as they make their 2019 PBA Philippine Cup return on March 16 against the Phoenix Fuelmasters at the Panabo City Multi-Purpose Tourism Cultural and Sports Center in Davao.