Regardless of who they face, the San Miguel Beermen will have to win twice in the quarterfinals if they want to reach the semis of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
That’s the predicament the Beermen are in after an uneven elimination round marked by two import changes and inconsistent play. Even so, Leo Austria remains unfazed.
“Kahit nasa 6, 7, or 8 or nasa bottom, all we have to do is win…,” Austria told reporters after San Miguel blasted the Terrafirma Dyip on Wednesday night. “Kahit ikaw nasa top four, all you have to win is the first game, but two games is still possible, to win another game, especially in the playoffs.”
Austria is right. In the last Philippine Cup, which San Miguel won, two teams overcame a twice-to-win disadvantage to advance to the semis. No. 7 Meralco Bolts ousted No. 2 Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, while No. 5 Barangay Ginebra San Miguel eliminated No. 4 Converge FiberXers. So, yes, winning two games is very possible.
San Miguel Developing Killer Instinct Ahead of ‘Scary Situation’
Even as Austria remains unperturbed by the prospect of needing two wins to advance, he acknowledges that his Beermen are in a scary situation.
“In this tournament, right now, it’s a scary situation for us because every team is really improving a lot,” Austria noted.
Again, the multi-titled tactician is correct. The NLEX Road Warriors, the league’s top seed, are looking the best they’ve ever been. The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, even with injuries and a late slump, continue to be a tough out. The same can be said of Ginebra, the third team assured of a win-once edge. Given this situation, Austria can only hope his Beermen can sharpen their killer instinct.
“We still have one game against Phoenix [Fuel Masters], so every game we want to develop the killer instinct dahil that’s the thing na nagbigay sa amin ng maraming championship,” he added.
Of course, that’s the thing—San Miguel is a champion team. And champions don’t go quietly without a fight.
