Beermen keep perfect record intact

 Playoffs-bound San Miguel Beer banked on Chris Ross and CJ Perez’s timely baskets to stave off pesky Magnolia in a 98-91 win to remain unbeaten in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The defending champions inched closer to the coveted twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals as the Beermen became the first team in 10 years to go undefeated after eight starts.

San Miguel almost squandered a 20-point lead it erected in the first half when the same rival it beat in the Commissioner’s Cup finals made a run in the payoff period and got within two, 85-83, with 6:31 remaining.

“I told the players before the game that Magnolia likes to deny the passing lane, so we just have to counter that, and we just have to play through it,” San Miguel coach Jorge Gallent said of their rematch against the Hotshots they beat in six games in the previous championship.

“We just can’t sit around on offense against Magnolia, because when they deny you that’s gonna ruin your offense. The players countered the denials of Magnolia,” Gallent added as his squad became the first team to reach 8-0 since TNT had a 13-0 card in the 2014 Commissioner’s Cup.

Perez displayed the same energy he had when he won the last tournament’s Finals Most Valuable Player as he finished with a game-high 25 points on 9-of-17 field goal shooting and added five assists and two rebounds.

Ross had 15 markers, Marcio Lassiter added 12, Don Trollano posted 10 while June Mar Fajardo got nine points, seven rebounds, seven assists and a steal as San Miguel snapped Magnolia’s four-game winning run.     

Ross hit three triples in the fourth quarter including a crucial three-pointer in the last 1:04 of the game when the Hotshots bridged the gap to three followed by a Perez trey that put the game away, 98-89, with 27 seconds left.

Magnolia, who played sans top guard Jio Jalalon due to a left knee injury, dropped to a 5-3 mark tied with idle NLEX.

Paul Lee fired 23 points with seven rebounds and six assists, Aris Dionisio made a double-double of 22 markers and 10 boards while Ian Sangalang had 17 markers for the Hotshots.

Box scores:

SAN MIGUEL (98) --– Perez 25, Ross 15, Lassiter 12, Tautuaa 10, Fajardo 9, Brondial 9, Cruz 9, Romeo 6, Trollano 3, Manuel 0

MAGNOLIA (91) --– Lee 23, Dionisio 22, Sangalang 17, Mendoza 8, Barroca 9, Laput 6, Tratter 5,Dela Rosa 1,  Escoto 0, Balanza 0, Eriobu 0, Abueva 0

Quarters: 24-11, 51-40, 70-64, 98-91