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QUEZON CITY--San Miguel assured itself of at least the top two spot in the team standings of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup elimination round after rallying past Globalport on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, 112-101.
Squandering a double-digit advantage in the first half, the Beermen found their strides in the final quarter to douse the Batang Pier, who on the other hand have to wait and grind a little longer to enter the next round.
The loss puts Globalport on a three-way tie with Phoenix and Alaska at the seventh to the ninth spots with a 4-7 slate, and could be a four-way logjam should Mahindra pull the rug from under Ginebra on Friday’s main game.
Taking into consideration the quotient system, the Batang Pier could still make the quarterfinal round via win on Sunday’s knockout game for the eighth and last spot of the ladder.
Showing a lot of character, Globalport made the star-studded SMB squad to work on both ends.
After SMB looked right on target to blow past the Batang Pier, key guns Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle asserted its gears late in the second canto to carry the trailing Globalport to within five at halftime, 51-46.
But the Beermen repulsed the upset ax from dropping against them, going full throttle in clutch time to secure the much-needed win.
Charles Rodes was his usual dominant self, putting up 34 points and five rebounds as the Beermen notched its ninth and last win after 11 elimination phase games.
Chris Ross padded the stats sheet anew with 17 points, seven boards, six rebounds and two steals in 38 minutes. Junemar Fajardo chipped in 15 points and eight rebounds while Alex Cabagnot notched a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Globalport's formidable back-court duo of Romeo and Pringle uncorked 21 each as import Justin Harper led the troupe's valorous albeit losing effort with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
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