Prior to Game 3, Leo Austria saw fire in the San Miguel Beermen’s eyes. A couple of hours later, they had survived another day, eking out a 101-98 victory over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in Game 3 of their PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals clash on Tuesday at the City of Dasmariñas Arena.
Fired-Up San Miguel Survives
The win means San Miguel and Ginebra will go at it again on Friday in Game 4 of a race to three, where the latter is just a win away and the former is suddenly back in it after lackluster showings in Games 1 and 2. And for Austria, the difference was the fire with which his Beermen played with their backs against the wall.
“We thought we have an early vacation, but this game could extend… Tonight we gave up only 98. It’s very evident that our defense was there,” Austria said in the postgame press conference. “The energy and effort, makikita naman natin. And the most crucial thing, what I observed from the players in the dugout, they are all quiet. That’s why, and then makikita mo sa mga mata nila na nandun ‘yung fire.”
That fire was burning like a fiery furnace in the second quarter, where San Miguel, for the first time in this series, built a double-digit advantage at 43-32. The Beermen extended their lead to as much as 49-34 before settling for a 54-46 lead—the first time in the quarterfinals they entered intermission with the lead.
Beermen Respond in Do-or-Die Game
Then, the inevitable Ginebra rally happened in the second half.
The crowd favorites made their first move in the third, cutting down that San Miguel lead to five, 79-74, heading into the final canto. Ginebra eventually crawled to within one twice down the stretch, only for San Miguel to find an answer each time—ultimately notching the win after RJ Abarrientos’ missed four-pointer at the horn.
For Austria, the close win just proves that his Beermen aren’t in the mood yet to take a long vacation.
“Makikita mo, everybody was on the same page, and everybody understand each other, and that’s one thing. And then, I’m so thankful dahil ang mga player talaga nag-response. Alam nila na our back is against the wall, and we don’t want to have an early exit,” the champion coach noted.
On Friday, the Beermen will look to extend their season even longer when they take on Ginebra in Game 4, this time at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
