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By ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Monday, March 6, 2017
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The newly-crowned 2016-2017 Oppo PBA Philippine Cup champion San Miguel Beermen raise the Perpetual Trophy for winning the All-Filipino Conference title for three straight years after a rousing victory over the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings in Game 5 of the best-of-seven finals on Sunday. PBA
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MANILA – The San Miguel Beermen did not waste time as it clinched the 2016-2017 Oppo PBA Philippine Cup crown with a 91-85 win over the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings in Game 5 of the best-of-seven finals on Sunday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
After seeing their 81-72 lead go down to 83-82 after a late game run by the Kings, the Beermen leaned on clutch baskets by June Mar Fajardo, Chris Ross and Arwind Santos to widen the lead again to eight with just under a minute left in the game.
Fajardo and Santos led the way with 21 points apiece for the Beermen, which captured the league’s Perpetual Trophy for winning the All-Filipino Conference title for three straight years.
Alex Cabagnot chipped in 18 markers, while Finals MVP Ross and Marcio Lassiter had 12 points apiece for the Beermen, which claimed its 23rd PBA championship overall.
“This championship is not meaningful if not for Ginebra,” said Beermen head coach Leo Austria. “They gave us a good fight at ipinakita talaga nila ang ‘never say die’ kaya nasubukan talaga ang mga players ko.”
From a slim 19-15 lead at the end of the opening period, the Beermen pulled away late in the second quarter behind Santos, Ross, Fajardo and Cabagnot for a 51-41 lead at halftime.
The Beermen widened the lead to its largest with 12 points in the third period on a Cabagnot layup but the Kings refused to give up, leaning on Japeth Aguilar and Sol Mercado to come to within single digits.
Aguilar finished with double-double 26 points and 16 rebounds, while Mercado and Joe Devance had 20 points apiece for the Kings, which failed to claim its second straight season title after ruling the 2016 PBA Governor’s Cup./PN
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