MANILA – Chris McCullough delivered as expected. San Miguel Beermen stayed alive in the 2019 Honda PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoffs race with a 109-105 victory over the NLEX Road Warriors last night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The former Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards forward made his presence felt as early as the first half. He dropped 22 point.
The Road Warriors, however, showed some fight to take a slim lead at the half.
The Beermen showed its fangs in the third period. It outscored the Road Warriors, 46-17, with McCullough and Marcio Lassiter converting their outside shots and Christian Standhardinger scoring inside.
While the Beermen were still on the lead early in the fourth, the Road Warriors did not easily gave up and went on a strong rampage in the fourth period but could only come to as close as four points.
McCullough finished the match with double-double 47 points and 10 rebounds while Lassiter and Alex Cabagnot submitted 11 markers apiece.
The Beermen improved to 3-5, win-loss record.
Oluseyi Ashaolu tallied double-double 31 points and 15 rebounds while Juan Miguel Tiongson, Jericho Cruz and John Paul Erram had 14, 11 and 10 markers, respectively, for the Road Warriors (2-8).
Meanwhile, Shej Roi Sumang, Bobby Ray Parks Jr. and Allein Maliksi came up with huge hits in the extension period as the Blackwater Elite get back on winning ways with a 104-99 overtime win over Magnolia Hotshots.
With the score tied at 87-all after exchange of triples by Elite’s Maliksi and Hotshots’ Andy Mark Barroca, the Elite surged to a 94-87 edge on seven straight points by Sumang.
The Hotshots made its last push and was able to come to within 91-94 on inside hits by James Farr but five straight points from Parks and conversions by Maliksi and Sumang sealed the win for the Elite.
Sumang finished the match with 19 points, while Michael Digregorio added 15 markers for the 6-3 Elite.
Paul Lee tallied 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Hotshots (5-3)./PN
