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[av_heading heading=’San Miguel rallies past Blackwater for share of top spot’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Thusday, June 1, 2017
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MANILA – San Miguel Beermen bucked a slow start before scoring a 124-113 victory over Blackwater Elite in the 2017 Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup last night at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
Beermen tied Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings and Star Hotshots on top with an 8-2 win-loss slate with the help of reinforcement Charles Rhodes, who led with 32 points and eight rebounds.
San Miguel may bag a twice-to-beat incentive if it overcomes GlobalPort Batang Pier on Friday.
June Mar Fajardo added 27 markers, while Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross and Arwind Santos contributed 21, 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Down by as much as 16 points at the half, Beermen went on a strong 18-2 scoring run in the second half behind Rhodes, Lassiter and Ross to take an 85-83 lead. Elite countered with a rally to retake the upper hand at 96-90.
Beermen started the final quarter with eight straight points for a 98-90 lead before turning the game to a seesaw battle. A triple by Ross followed by hits from Rhodes and Santos allowed the squad to build a 108-102 lead.
Elite made its last push to come to within 111-107 on a Michael Digregorio triple, but Beermen went on another surge to build its largest lead at 120-109 on back-to-back hits by Gabby Espinas and Rhodes.
Import Greg Smith finished with double-double 21 points and 22 rebounds, while Mark Cruz, Rommel Nino Canaleta and Digregorio had 16 points each for Elite, which ended its campaign with a 2-9 win-loss mark./PN
SCORES
SAN MIGUEL 124 – Rhodes 32, Fajardo 28, Lassiter 21, Ross 14, Santos 13, Espinas 10, Cabagnot 6, Reyes 0, Heruela 0, Tubid 0
BLACKWATER 113 – Smith 21, Canaleta 16, Cruz 16, Digregorio 16, Pinto 11, Cervantes 10, Sena 8, Aguilar 7, Gamalinda 5, Buenafe 3, Pascual 0, Erram 0
QUARTERS – 30-32, 56-72, 90-96, 124-113
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