SAN MIGUEL Beer was true to form on Thursday afternoon and beat NorthPort, 100-95, behind a calculated game the Beermen dedicated to San Miguel Corp.’s celebration of its 131st anniversary.
“Coach [Leo Austria] told us that we really need to win because it’s San Miguel Corp.’s anniversary,” said CJ Perez, the main man for the Beermen who set themselves up for a race-to-seven semifinals showdown with TNT KaTropa in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup.
Perez had 21 points with four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in leading the Beermen to the semifinals—also the first in the Pangasinan pride’s three-year pro career.
“I am speechless and excited to play in my first semifinals,” Perez said from the league’s bubble venue at the Don Honorio Ventura State University gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.
The Batang Pier put up a gallant stand practically the whole game with seven-foot Greg Slaughter holding fort for 27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.
But the Beermen’s vast championship experience went to work each time their opponents challenged their defense.
After trailing 17-19 at the end of the opening period, the Beermen buckled down to work with Perez igniting the team’s offense and Alex Cabagnot and Terrence Romeo joining the attack.
San Miguel Beer was in control, 74-61, with 1:51 left in the third quarter behind Marcio Lassiter’s three-point bomb. NorthPort narrowed the gap to 93-97 with 34 seconds left, but the Beermen refused to wilt.
Moala Tautuaa racked up 17 points, while Lassiter scattered 15 points spiked by four triples, and June Mar Fajardo tallied 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Beermen.
Romeo, coming off an Achilles injury, came up with 11 points, while Chris Ross produced 11 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals. Arwind Santos also finished with 11 points on top of 13 rebounds for San Miguel Beer.
“We all know that it will not be an easy game because this is do-or-die for NorthPort,” San Miguel Beer Coach Leo Austria said. “We consider NorthPort as a strong team. They are not only young, but they are very talented and ready to play.”
Rookie Jamie Malonzo had 17 points for the Batang Pier, but starting playmaker Robert Bolick struggled on a 6-of-18 shooting and wound up with 12 points and 14 assists, numbers messed up by his six turnovers.
The Beermen won Game One of their race-to-two quarterfinals series with the Batang Pier, 88-87, last Tuesday behind Cabagnot’s jumper in the final 1.5 seconds.
The Beermen won the Philippine Cup from 2015 to 2019, but exited in the quarterfinals in the Clark bubble last season.
No. 1 seed TNT Tropang Giga booted out defending champion Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 84-71, last Wednesday.
The giant San Miguel Corp. turned 131 years on Wednesday.