BUMPED off the playoffs for the first time in a long while in the last conference, San Miguel Beer could be all fire and fury in a redemption drive in PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup.
First to face an expected raging Beermen side are Robert Bolick and his NLEX teammates in Day 2 of the season-ending tournament on Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. - the return of coach Leo Austria's troops into action after its unceremonious exit in the recent Commissioner's Cup following a shocking 10th-place finish in the elims.
It's an unfamiliar territory for the Beermen in missing the playoffs despite being the defending champions. The franchise, the winningest in the league with 29 crowns, missed the post-elims play for the first time in 10 years.
And curiously, the Beermen's sorry fate was (5-7) sealed when NLEX, with import Mike Watkins, blasted Hong Kong Eastern, 94-76, for a 6-6 closing card, tied with Magnolia.
Sponsored content:
The Beermen and the Road Warriors were with the Blackwater Bossing, the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters and the Terrafirma Dyip in the dubious list of teams outside the playoffs picture.
JMF and Co. should have learned their lessons and should be aching to hit the ground running in the Philippine Cup.
Incidentally, the last all-Filipino was also a bitter pill to swallow for the Beermen as they went down beaten in the finals by first-time champs Meralco Bolts.
Then the titleholders and heavy favorites, the Beermen were brought down from their lofty perch, crushed by the Bolts in six games in the best-of-seven title showdown.
For Fajardo and Bolick, the Philippine Cup is also the final battleground in their rumble for the season Most Valuable Player award with Commissioner's Cup BPC winner Arvin Tolentino of NorthPort. Another player likely to figure in the race is TNT's Calvin Oftana.
Sponsored content:
Fajardo is in contention for a record-extending ninth MVP citation. He's an automatic candidate in being the Governors' Cup Best Player awardee.(SB)
