Sweet sweep, revenge for SMB

MANILA, Philippines — Swept in this very stage last conference, San Miguel Beer returned the favor to Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.

In effect, the Beermen roared to the Last Dance and put themselves in play for the throne they forced the Gin Kings to abdicate.

With Bennie Boatwright, June Mar Fajardo, Jericho Cruz and Marcio Lassiter delivering the death blows, SMB dethroned the crowd darlings with a 94-91 closeout in front of a 15,126-strong crowd at the MOA Arena last night.

Boatwright punched in 26 points and 13 rebounds and sealed his Game 3 heroics with a saving block on Tony Bishop’s triple attempt in the dying seconds with San Miguel holding a 94-89 edge.

Cruz (17) and Lassiter (14) combined for nine in a telling 15-4 bomb that lifted SMB to a 90-79 cushion early in the fourth. Fajardo banged in 11, including two dagger free throws that extended the team’s lead to five with 8.7 seconds left.

Together, their exploits helped the Jorge Gallent-coached squad finish the job after taking the first two games, 92-90 and 106-96.

Gallent’s “Death Squad 2.0” now awaits the winner of the other Final Four dispute between Magnolia and Phoenix, where the Hotshots own a 2-1 advantage. The Fuel Masters averted a Magnolia sweep by scoring a series-extending 103-85 rout hours earlier.

“Games 1, 2 and 3 were all anybody’s ballgame and we came out victorious because of our composure and our determination to win,” said Gallent.

SMB gave Ginebra the boot the same way it was sent to the exits in the Season 47 Governors’ Cup – with a 0-3 defeat.