A decade has passed since San Miguel Beermen completed their historic 'Beeracle' comeback from a 3-0 deficit against the Alaska Aces in the PBA Finals. One reminder of just how much time has elapsed came in Game 3 of their PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup quarterfinal series against Barangay Ginebra, when former starting point guard Alex Cabagnot could only watch from the sidelines as his old teammates continued their pursuit of another championship.
Yet the more striking part of that picture is how many of the pillars of that dynasty remain central to San Miguel's identity. Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter and June Mar Fajardo were all instrumental in that championship run under head coach Leo Austria, and they are still doing much of the heavy lifting.
With their backs against the wall, and Ginebra leading the series 2-0, San Miguel found just enough on both ends of the floor to withstand the Gin Kings' late rally and escape with a 101-98 win at City of Dasmariñas Arena in Cavite on Tuesday.
Austria made his most telling adjustment for Game 3 when he returned to the starting lineup used in Game 1, putting Ross and Lassiter back in their familiar roles after they had combined to go 0-for-9 from the field in the series opener. It was a bet on experience and familiarity, but also on the idea that two players with so many playoff battles behind them would eventually find their footing.
For Ross, the familiar defensive disruption was still there. At 41, he may not cover ground quite like he once did, but his understanding of angles, timing and the tendencies of opponents remains valuable. San Miguel often used him as an off-ball defender around Jordan Murphy, putting him in positions to disrupt passing lanes, bother potential receivers, and make Ginebra work harder to initiate offense. He finished with seven points, six assists, and three steals, serving as both a defensive pest and an offensive connector.
"Chris Ross has been with us since the beginning of our championship runs," Austria said.
"He knows how to win and he's a leader inside the court. I think that was missing sa court in our previous games."
Ross' value is particularly important in a San Miguel offense that still revolves around establishing Fajardo in the post. The Beermen are not a team that needs to reinvent its offensive identity every time a matchup gets difficult. They can still run possessions through their nine-time MVP, force the defense to send help, and let their perimeter players make decisions against a defense that has already been tilted out of position.
That is exactly why Lassiter's return to form in this game was vital to San Miguel's success.
The PBA's all-time leader in three-pointers made was virtually invisible in the first two games, averaging just one point while going 0-for-12 from the field. But Game 3 offered a different environment. With San Miguel making a more concerted effort to establish Fajardo inside and allowing CJay Perez and George King to attack off the dribble, Lassiter finally had opportunities to operate without Ginebra's defense constantly tracking his every movement.
The result was 13 points and three made triples as he provided the perimeter production that makes San Miguel's half-court offense considerably more difficult to defend.
"Credit to Ginebra, whenever we face [them], Marcio is always a marked man," Austria said. "But tonight because some of the players are scoring, nagkakaroon siya ng opportunity to be free."
And, of course, everything still revolves around Fajardo.
The nine-time MVP delivered another reminder of why San Miguel's offensive identity remains so difficult to dislodge, finishing with 18 points and 13 rebounds while shooting a perfect seven-for-seven from the field. There was no need for an elaborate scoring display. Fajardo simply did what he has done throughout his career: Establish position, use his size and touch around the basket, and make the defense pay whenever it failed to account for him.
Ginebra has to make a decision every time Fajardo gets a clean catch in the post: Stay home on the shooters and risk giving one of the best interior scorers in league history a favorable matchup, or send additional help and leave San Miguel's perimeter players with more favorable opportunities.
That dilemma explains why San Miguel's offense is so dangerous when all its pieces are functioning. The Beermen knocked down 11 triples in Game 3, a meaningful development for an offense that does much of its damage inside. It is not necessarily about abandoning the post in favor of a perimeter-oriented attack. Rather, it is about making the inside-out game function the way it is supposed to: Establish the big man, force the defense to react, and punish the help with open shots.
"We don't want to have an early exit," 11-time PBA champion coach Austria said.
"And with June Mar, I think we are in good hands."