The big story of the Magnolia Hotshots versus San Miguel Beermen showdown on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum was Justin Patton not showing up to play. The American reinforcement chose to stiff the Beermen after missing several practices, supposedly because of an illness, but never told San Miguel management he wouldn’t be playing against the Hotshots.
“He left us hanging and he didn’t notify us that he won’t play. We didn’t know what happened, but he was a nice person and then it was a total 180-degree turn,” said San Miguel team manager Gee Abanilla after the Beermen absorbed a 120-101 loss to Magnolia. “We’re not going to let him get away with the attitude that he showed… We were really shocked by his actions today.”
In three games, Justin Patton averaged 18.3 points, 17.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 block. However, he left many San Miguel fans unimpressed, with quite a few lamenting his lack of playmaking and shooting as major red flags for a team looking to win another championship.
Justin Patton Going Rogue Could Benefit San Miguel
Ironically, Justin Patton going AWOL might just have set in motion a new course of action for San Miguel: move on and get former import Bennie Boatwright back on board.
Abanilla himself confirmed as much.
“Because of what happened I got in touch right away with Bennie. Meron pa siyang tinatapos na exit interviews but I told him to come over, may understanding na kami,” said Abanilla. “I’ll try to fly him in as soon as possible. Si Patton out na, na-disappoint kami…”
Boatwright, of course, is a familiar name in the PBA landscape.
Back in the 2023–24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, Boatwright replaced Ivan Aska and was a game-changer, averaging 30.3 points and 12.0 rebounds a game in leading the Beermen to the title. He notably gave San Miguel a true-blue stretch four to complement big man June Mar Fajardo, and their pairing became the anchor to yet another title run—the Beermen’s last so far in an import-laced conference.
Now, the last import to lead San Miguel to a title is finally back, and it apparently took Justin Patton going rogue to make it happen.
