Jay R. Gotera
MANILA — The San Miguel Beermen kept their title hopes alive, prevailing once again over the Alaska Aces, 86-73, in overtime in Game 5 of their PBA Philippine Cup Finals Wednesday night.
The Beermen were bolstered by the surprise return of injured June Mar Fajardo who quickly made his presence felt on both ends of the court, finishing with 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting in just over 16 minutes of action.
Just like in Game 4, the Beermen and the Aces ended regulation play with the score tied. And again just like in Sunday’s game, the Beermen trounced the Aces in overtime, opening with a scorching 11-0 run to run away with the victory.
Despite their back-to-back losses, the Aces still lead the series 3-2 ahead of Friday’s Game 6.
Arwind Santos was the big difference for SMB in Game 5, scoring a team-high 22 points on top of 16 rebounds, four assists, three steals and four blocks.
Alex Cabagnot added 12 points while Marcio Lassiter chipped in with 11. Chris Ross posted eight points and seven assists, contributing to the victory with some huge plays in overtime.
The Aces were up, 55-52, when the Beermen went on a 10-0 run to start the fourth quarter as the Aces could not buy a basket for over six minutes in the face of SMB’s choking defense.
The Aces eventually caught up, knotting the score at 64-all with a three-pointer from RJ Jazul and a layup from Vic Manuel.
With 53 ticks left in regulation, SMB’s Alex Cabagnot drilled a clutch three-pointer. But Alaska’s Dondon Hontiveros responded with a trey of his own to tie the score anew at 67-all.
Both teams failed to score in the final minute to send the game into overtime.
It was all SMB in the five-minute extra period as Ross went to work, setting up plays, assisting and scoring as the Beermen buried the Aces in an avalanche of baskets enroute to their second straight victory in the series.
No team in the PBA’s 41-year history has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit in a best-of-seven series. The Beermen will seek to move closer to breaking that record in Game 6 Friday night. If they win anew, the do-or-die Game 7 is set for Sunday.
Game Friday: Alaska Aces vs. San Miguel Beermen (Game 6 of best-of-7 Finals; Alaska leads 3-2).
