By REYNALD MAGALLON
The franchise-tying 11-game winning streak means nothing for San Miguel if it would not lead them to a championship in the 2023-’24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
SMB head coach Jorge Gallent said that the team was laser focused on the series and would rather not think too much on keeping the historic run going for the team.
After all, winning two more games to wrest another PBA title is what matters for the Beermen.
“We are not thinking of that special run because it is just over. As of now we only won two games, the rest are nothing. We are really focused on this series and that’s what I always tell them,” said Gallent.
SMB never tasted defeat since Dec. 10 of last year which incidentally came at the hands of Magnolia during the latter part of the elimination. The Beermen are also undefeated through nine games with import Bennie Boatwright in tow.
Following SMB’s masterful 109-85 win over Magnolia in Game 2, the Beermen tied the feat which they already achieved twice in franchise history – first in the 2013 Governors’ Cup and second, in the 2017 Philippine Cup.
Behind its three-headed juggernaut offense in Boatwright, June Mar Fajardo, and CJ Perez, SMB can eclipse the mark in Game 3 which will also put them on cusp of winning the franchise’s 29th PBA title.
Gallent though is not sitting on his laurels despite the commanding series lead, telling his players that they have yet to prove anything with the first two wins in the finals.
“2-0 is nothing. We haven’t achieved anything yet. We didn’t achieve what we wanted to achieve. We have two more games to focus on. The sweep is not even on our minds, our team is thinking how to get four games before them,” insisted the veteran coach.
