Arwind Santos may have gotten a little older. But his energy on the floor, and the help he provided to Mo Tautuaa in the shaded lane proved priceless for the San Miguel Beermen last Wednesday.
The 39-year-old Santos had 17 points and 11 rebounds in providing a helping hand to Tautuaa’s offensive role.
And the 1-2 punch that they delivered for the Beermen sent them to an 89-82 triumph over the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Angeles University Foundation Arena in Angeles, Pampanga.
“We wanted someone to go to Mo. We needed a big man who can hit, and he was always a threat. And that’s why we got the W,” said Beermen coach Leo Austria.
The Beermen struggled after a bad start, before they turned on the heat in the fourth period.
Tautuaa showed the way for San Miguel with 23 points, and the Beermen went on to post their third straight triumph.
“This game is really important. We can’t afford to lose this,” said Austria.
The Beermen (4-2) now share third with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings and the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters.
The Beermen did bad in first three periods, and shot 3-of-17 from beyond the three-point range.
The Beermen finally found their rhythm in the fourth.
The 6’4” Santos provided the spark with a triple.
Santos’ trey sent the Beermen to a 21-4 run.
And from there, they overturned a 60-69 deficit, and got into an 81-73 lead with 5:10 left.
“Masyadong mataas ang confidence ng batang ito. But, I trusted him. Because he knows how to pace himself,” said Austria.