By JAY R. GOTERA
MANILA — The San Miguel Beermen came back from a 15-point halftime deficit to overwhelm the TNT KaTropa Texters, 111-102, in Game 5 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals Friday night.
The Beermen thus took a 3-2 lead in the bestof-7 series—a win away from capturing their first championship in the mid-season tournament in 16 years. A victory in Game 6 Sunday will also give them their 24th title and fifth in the last eight conferences.
The Texters surprised the SMB with a display of explosive shooting in the first half as they took a 61-46 lead at the break.
But the Beermen came roaring back in the second half to frustrate the Texters.
Arwind Santos led the furious SMB comeback, scoring 14 of his season-high 27 points in the third quarter where the Beermen outscored the Texters, 36-18. The lanky forward also finished with eight boards, five blocks, two steals, and one assist in 35 minutes.
The deadly backcourt duo of Alex Cabagnot and Chris Ross then took over in the fourth quarter, with Cabagnot nailing 12 of his game-high 28 points in that period. Ross chipped in 10 markers along with 11 assists, five steals, and four rebounds in 42 minutes.
Charles Rhodes scattered 20 points while Marcio Lassiter added 17 markers. June Mar Fajardo was the only other SMB scorer with 9 points.
With SMB leading by 12 points, the Texters made a last-ditch stand, scoring seven straight points to come to within five points, only to fall back again with a barrage of baskets from the Beermen.
Ranidel de Ocampo paced TNT with 19 points, but wound up scoreless in the second half. Jayson Castro, who was celebrating his birthday, could only coughed up 12 markers on a mediocre 4-of-13 shooting in 27 minutes. He also committed two crucial turnovers in the final period that dimmed his team’s chances of snatching a victory.
Chris Rosales scored 16 points, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, while import Joshua Smith was limited to just 15 markers. Troy Rosario and Anthony Semerad added 12 points each.
Game Sunday: San Miguel Beermen vs. TNT KaTropa Texters (Game 6 of best-of-7 Finals; SMB leads 3-2).
