CHICAGO — The third import of the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup proved to be the charm for San Miguel.
Finding only modest success with Marcus Lee and malcontent Justin Patton, the Beermen turned to a familiar face in the hope of turning around a dismal 3-4 start to their quest for a second PBA championship this season.
READ Boatwright scores 41 in smashing PBA comeback as SMB nips NLEX
And on Sunday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, it looked like the Beermen have found their conference savior.
Bennie Boatwright sank three 4-point shots on the way to 41 points, powering San Miguel to a thrilling 98-94 win over NLEX.
The 6-foot-10, 235-lb power forward grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out two assists in 39 minutes and 49 seconds of action.
GLORIOUS RETURN.
Following surgery for an injured Achilles last August 2024, concerns grew over the 29-year old’s ability to return to the form that allowed him to carry San Miguel to the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup title.
Those doubts are now effectively muted.
NLEX’s Cady Lalanne had a terrific 35 points and 12 boards in a tough match-up between gifted reinforcements.
In the end, though, the Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player candidate bested the former NBA G League player.
With 32.4 seconds left in a tie game, Boatwright blew past Lalanne like a speeding motorist before slamming the ball to put San Miguel ahead for good, 96-94.
THE BENNIE OF OLD.
Beyond the deciding bucket he scored, here’s what was significant in that sequence.
Boatwright looked completely healthy, unburdened by the Achilles surgery two years ago and unhindered by a shoulder injury he suffered in the KBL earlier this season.
Now at 4-4 with the playoffs in sight, San Miguel suddenly looks like a serious championship contender with Boatwright on board to complement a slew of talented veterans led by nine-time league MVP June Mar Fajardo.
The San Miguel franchise has been haunted by disastrous imoort changes as of late.
They got this one right, though.
This import switch has turned on the Beermen’s hunt for another crown.
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