FROM last-minute playoffs participant to Leg 6 champions.
That's the amazing trek resolute San Miguel Beer made as the Beermen hurdled five do-or-die games to rule the sixth leg of the PBA 3x3 Lakas ng Tatlo Second Conference at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Boycie Zamar-coached Beermen put the finishing touches to their Holy Wednesday run with a 21-17 clincher over the erstwhile unbeaten Pioneer Pro Tibay in the finals.
Ken Bono turned in a dominant outing of 10 points on a 10-of-15 field goal shooting to go with seven rebounds to lead SMB to its second leg victory after previously conquering the second stop last month.
Bono and teammates Louie Vigil, Jeff Manday and James Mangahas netted P100,000 for this latest feat, which all but secured San Miguel's position among the Top 4 seeds in next week's conference grand finals.
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Pioneer's Gian Abrigo, Robin Rono, Carlo Escalambre and Christian Rivera fell short anew in their second attempt at a leg title in the standalone league and settled for the P50,000 runner-up purse.
Purefoods TJ Titans rounded out the podium finishers after edging TnT in the battle for third, 21-10, and taking home P30,000.
After dropping their first two assignments in Pool B Tuesday, the Beermen faced a must-win against Terrafirma 3x3 in their last elims game Wednesday morning to take the No. 3 in the group and get into the knockout for the eighth and last quarterfinal berth.
They took care of business, beating the Dyip, 21-14, for a 1-2 mark, before completing their quarterfinal qualification with a 21-17 verdict over Cavitex.
The Beermen then took down two heavyweights - unbeaten Meralco 3x3 and TnT - to reach the leg finals for the second time.
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SMB overcame a 12-4 deficit against the Bolts and sealed the come-from-behind 21-20 victory with back-to-back two-balls from Bono. Sustaining the momentum, the Beermen prevailed in the semifinal over TnT via the same scoreline, banking on Vigil's long bombs and Bono's game-winner to seal it.
Pioneer, meanwhile, outlasted erstwhile unbeaten Purefoods in the semis, 16-13, to get a second crack at a leg title after a runner-up finish back in Leg 3 of the First Conference.
The squad previously completed a sweep of the three-game elims in Pool B with a 21-10 squeaker over TnT then nosed out Platinum Karaoke quarterfinals, 16-13.
Powerhouse Limitless App, which was gunning for its third leg triumph of the conference, bombed out in the quarterfinals at the hands of the Tropang Giga, 21-19. (OL)
The Scores:
Game 17
Purefoods TJ 21 - Eriobu 16, Javelona 4, Bonsubre 1, Mendoza 0.
CAVITEX 20 - Fajardo 8, Rivero 6, Fonacier 4, Reyes 2.
Game 18
Pioneer Pro Tibay 21 - Abrigo 11, Ro?o 7, Rivera 2, Escalambre 1.
TNT 20 - Flores 11, Vosotros 7, Javier 2, De Leon 0.
Game 19
Meralco 20 - Gonzaga 8, Maiquez 7, Sedurifa 4, Sabellina 1.
Ginebra 16 - Serrano 6, Villamor 4, Go 4, David 2.
Game 20
Platinum Karaoke 21 - Banal 9, Alabanza 7, Andrada 3, Monteclaro 2.
Master Sardines 18 - Hernandez 7, Mabayo 6, Mahari 3, Comia 2.
Game 21
SMB 21 - Bono 10, Manday 8, Vigil 3, Mangahas 0.
Terrafirma 14 - Taladua 5, Tumalip 4, Reverente 4, Bulawan 1.
Game 22
Limitless 22 - Rosser 8, Hayes 6, Napoles 5, Caduyac 3.
Sista 13 - Manlangit 5, De Vera 5, Jamon 2, Mocon 1.
KO for 8th seed
SMB 21 - Manday 14, Vigil 4, Bono 3, Mangahas 0.
CAVITEX 17 - Fonacier 7, Fajardo 4, Rivero 3, Reyes 3.
Quarterfinals
Purefoods TJ 21 - Eriobu 11, Javelona 6, Bonsubre 4.
Ginebra 17 - Serrano 8, Go 3, Villamor 3, David 3.
Quarterfinals
TNT 21 - Vosotros 8, De Leon 6, Flores 6, Javier 1.
Limitless 19 - Rosser 9, Hayes 5, Caduyac 3, Napoles 2.
Quarterfinals
SMB 21 - Bono 8, Vigil 6, Manday 6, Mangahas 1.
Meralco 20 - Maiquez 10, Gonzaga 4, Sabellina 3, Sedurifa 3.
Quarterfinals
Pioneer Pro Tibay 21 - Abrigo 8, Ro?o 8, Escalambre 3, Rivera 2.
Platinum Karaoke 18 - Banal 6, Alabanza 6, Monteclaro 4, Andrada 2.
Semifinals
SMB 21 - Bono 9, Vigil 7, Manday 4, Mangahas 1.
TNT 20 - Vosotros 7, De Leon 7, Javier 4, Flores 2.
Semifinals
Pioneer Pro Tibay 16 - Rivera 7, Escalambre 4, Abrigo 3, Ro?o 2.
Purefoods TJ 13 - Eriobu 7, Javelona 3, Bonsubre 2, Mendoza 1.
Battle for 3rd
Purefoods TJ 21 - Eriobu 12, Javelona 5, Mendoza 3, Bonsubre 1.
TNT 20 - Flores 6, Vosotros, 5, De Leon 5, Javier 4.
Finals
SMB 21 - Bono 10, Vigil 5, Manday 4, Mangahas 2.
Pioneer Pro Tibay 17 - Abrigo 9, Ro?o 4, Escalambre 4, Rivera 0.
