San Miguel lacked effort and discipline on defense, according to coach Jorge Gallent, something which the squad needs to arrest in Game 2 against Ginebra.
San Miguel went lax on defense but is determined to make amends as it meets Ginebra anew in Game 2 of the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup best-of-seven semifinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao on Friday, Oct. 11.
They tangle at 7:30 p.m. after the 5:00 p.m. curtain-raiser between Rain or Shine and TNT.
The Beermen suffered a 105-122 setback against the Gin Kings in the series opener last Wednesday, Oct. 9.
San Miguel struggled to contain Ginebra's hot shooting, especially from long range. Gin Kings reinforcement Justin Brownlee torched the Beermen with five total four-pointers — the most by any player in a single game so far.
Brownlee scored 20 of his 33 points in the pivotal third quarter, turning a close 63-58 halftime lead by Ginebra into a commanding 97-78 advantage heading to the final period.
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Beermen head coach Jorge Gallent lamented his team’s lack of effort and discipline on defense, as well as their impatience on offense, which led to the defeat.
Gallent admitted that San Miguel allowed the Gin Kings to get too comfortable from deep, where they shot a combined 17-for-35 from three- and four-point range for a 48.6 percent clip.
Brownlee was not the only threat from long range, as Ginebra collectively hit 12 three-pointers. In all, the Gin Kings logged a 55 percent shooting clip as it nailed 44-for-80 attempts.
Meanwhile, San Miguel shot 46.3 percent from the field or 37-for-80.
The Beermen failed to keep up with Ginebra's firepower, especially in the third quarter.
June Mar Fajardo, San Miguel’s key big man, had a quiet scoring night with just 16 points on nine field-goal attempts, although he made up for it by contributing in other areas with 16 rebounds, seven assists and a block.
That left Fajardo at a loss for words after the match and politely begged off from doing interviews.
Import EJ Anosike led the way for the Beermen with 27 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals, but his efforts were not enough to overcome the Gin Kings' surge. Three-point king Marcio Lassiter went 2-for-4 from triples in his 18 points while CJ Perez contributed 13 markers.
San Miguel will look to tighten up its perimeter defense to limit Ginebra’s shooting opportunities, particularly Brownlee’s long-range dominance.
The Beermen will also surely find ways to get Fajardo more involved to capitalize on his presence in the paint.
[Editor's note: This article was generated by AI and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]