DASMARIÑAS CITY - San Miguel survived a furious rally by Barangay Ginebra in Game 3, 101-98, to stay alive in their PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup quarterfinals playoff on Tuesday at the City of Dasmariñas Arena.
George King redeemed himself with 21 points while Marcio Lassiter finally clicked from the outside as the Beermen avoided a sweep of the best-of-five quarterfinals by barely hanging on after leading by as much as 15 points.
The Beermen also had to hold their breath as a potential series-clinching four-point try by Ginebra guard RJ Abarrientos bounced off the rim at the buzzer, setting the stage for a Game 4 on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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“We thought we’ll have an early vacation,” said San Miguel coach Leo Austria. “This game extended the series to next Friday. Hopefully magkaroon ng Game 5.”
King was more assertive in Game 3, shooting 9-of-22 from the field, including a 2-of-6 clip from three-point distance. He also grabbed 12 rebounds.
Lassiter, who entered Game 3 with an 0-of-7 clip from threes and fours, hit three of his eight threes to finish with 13 points in the do-or-die game.
San Miguel also stepped up on defense, limiting Ginebra to its lowest offensive game of the series and Gin Kings import Jordan Murphy to 17 points - 14 points below his average in the series.
The Beermen built a 49-34 lead in the second quarter, but the Gin Kings came storming back, cutting the deficit to 91-90. But King capped a 6-0 SMB response with a three-pointer to cushion a last-ditch Ginebra comeback.
Abarrientos had 21 points, while Isaac Go had 17 points. Murphy added 17 rebounds in Game 3.
The scores:
San Miguel 101 – King 21, Fajardo 18, Perez 14, Lassiter 13, Trollano 8, Ahanmisi 7, Ross 7, Cruz 7, Brondial 3, Teng 2, Tautuaa 0.
Barangay Ginebra 98 – Abarrientos 21, Murphy 17, Go 17, Thompson 14, Gray 13, J. Aguilar 7, Rosario 6, Holt 3, Cu 0.
Quarters: 23-18; 54-46; 79-74; 101-98.
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