(PBA image)
SAN MIGUEL Beer head coach Leo Austria refused to dwell on disappointment after the Beermen absorbed a 99-90 defeat to Barangay Ginebra in the opener of their PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup semifinals.
Instead, Austria framed the setback as a necessary jolt, one that sharpened his team’s focus heading into Game 2 of the best-of-seven series on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Game 2 siguradong exciting para sa amin,” Austria said. “Parang wake-up call na rin ito. Alam ng mga players na mahirap ma-zero-two.”
Ginebra seized early control of the series behind a balanced attack, with RJ Abarrientos and Scottie Thompson setting the tone while Ralph Cu, Japeth Aguilar, and Norbert Torres delivered timely contributions. Their collective effort was aimed largely at containing June Mar Fajardo, a task that proved difficult but ultimately manageable with help from the Gin Kings’ depth.
Fajardo still turned in a dominant line of 27 points and 23 rebounds in just 30 minutes, but beyond solid support from CJ Perez and Marcio Lassiter, San Miguel struggled to generate consistent offense elsewhere.
The Beermen’s usually reliable bench was a glaring concern. After averaging a league-best 57.5 points per game entering the semifinals, the second unit was limited to just 29 points. The drop-off was compounded by inefficient free-throw shooting, with San Miguel converting only 15 of 31 attempts.
Austria acknowledged that injuries played a role. Don Trollano suited up despite a sore back, Jericho Cruz battled a lingering hamstring issue, and backup center Mo Tautuaa was restricted by a shoulder injury after missing a full week of practice. Tautuaa logged just eight minutes and scored three points, forcing Fajardo to shoulder a heavier load.
“Hindi ko talaga dapat ginamit si Mo,” Austria admitted. “Pero kinausap ko siya na kahit depensa at rebounds lang, makatulong siya para ma-preserve si June Mar.”
On the other bench, Ginebra coach Tim Cone expects a different San Miguel side to show up in Game 2, particularly Trollano, who entered the series averaging over 16 points per game.
“Game two is going to be a completely different game,” Cone said. “Don could come out and have a big night. We just control what we can control.”
Austria, for his part, remains confident that his team’s response will be collective rather than individual.
“Kinausap ko na sila,” he said. “Walang nakatungo, lahat upbeat. Excited silang makabawi dahil alam nila na mas magiging mahirap para sa amin kapag natalo ulit.”
For the Beermen, Game 2 is less about panic and more about precision—tightening rotations, rediscovering bench production, and proving that the Game 1 loss was a stumble, not a trend.