IT was one wild finish.
In what was probably the best game of the season, Arwind Santos sank a game-winning putback with 0.6 of a second remaining to lift San Miguel Beer to a 106-105 escape win over Barako Bull as the Beermen dodged an upset bullet and regained the solo lead in the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City yesterday.
June Mar Fajardo flexed his muscles on the way to another sensational outing. The reigning two-time Most Valuable Player had a 20-20 game with game-highs of 28 points and 20 rebounds to spearhead the Beermen’s attack.
With the Beermen down, 104-105, with 10 seconds remaining, San Miguel mapped out a plan to find Fajardo inside. But with the big man guarded down low, the Beermen went to Marcio Lassiter instead.
After Lassiter’s jumper rimmed out, Santos came to the rescue, grabbing the offensive rebound and putting it right back up for what turned out to be the winning basket for the Beermen.
Barako Bull had a final chance to win the nip-and-tuck battle. With 0.6 left on the clock, the Energy went to RR Garcia, but the former Far Eastern University guard missed a desperation jumper, allowing San Miguel Beer to hold on to the victory.
San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria said he was ‘’happy’’ with his team’s win, but he was far from satisfied with how his wards played.
‘’A one-point win is still a win at tatanggapin ko ng buong puso ito. I’m happy that Arwind (Santos) made the game-winning shot,’’ said Austria. ‘’From the start, kita na sa body language ng Barako na gusto nila manalo at naging kampante kami. I hope this game can teach us a lesson.’’
As a result, the defending champion is once again in sole possession of the tournament lead with its 5-1 card following this third straight victory.
On the other hand, the Energy saw their two-game winning streak snapped. Barako (3-3) fell to the middle of the standings.