SAN Miguel Beer import Charles Rhodes proved too much for GlobalPort to handle as he led his team to a 112-101 win and closer to a coveted goal Friday in the PBA Commissioner's Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Rhodes scored 17 of his game-high 34 points in the decisive fourth period in leading a slew of Beermen who helped get the job done in their final game of the eliminations.
With nine wins in 11 games, SMB tied Star at the top and is assured of taking at least No. 2, providing Barangay Ginebra prevails as expected over Mahindra later in the evening.
Ginebra beat SMB, but the Beermen defeated the Hotshots.
Either way, both top two elims finishers get a twice-to-beat advantage over the lowest-ranked teams in the eight-team quarterfinals and that is something SMB coach Leo Austria could be content with.
Sponsored content:
"Nakaisa na kami, isa na lang to get into the semifinals," said Austria after his charges followed his directions to treat the game as if it was already the start of a best-of-three series.
Rhodes typified SMB's sense of urgency the most with his big-time explosion in the payoff canto, which he highlighted with a monstrous dunk that made it a 110-96 count.
Chris Ross then capped a 17-point, seven-assist game with two charities that put the Beermen back on top by 16 anew 112-96, only 50 seconds to go.
Despite a stiff neck, June Mar Fajardo came off the bench for 15 points and eight rebounds while Alex Cabagnot, Marcio Lassiter and Arwind Santos each had 13 points. Cabagnot also hauled down a teamhigh 10 rebounds.
Justin Harper led GlobalPort with 25 points and 12 boards while Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle added 21 markers each and Bradwyin Guinto 11 points off the bench.
The Batang Pier actually came fighting back from an early 16-point deficit to even take a four-point lead in the third period. But they could not match the Rhodes-led tear by the Beermen when it mattered most and wound up the elims with a 4-7 slate.
Sponsored content:
GlobalPort, which tied idle Phoenix and Alaska for seventh to ninth, is now faced with the task of winning a playoff match with either the Aces or Fuel Masters on Sunday just to advance.
Blame it mostly on Rhodes, who was held to only three points in the third period, but scored 11 during a 13-5 exchange opening up the fourth that pulled SMB away from a 77-72 lead and into a 90-77 spread.
GlobalPort would come no closer than seven points the rest of the way, with each Batang Pier threat easily quashed by the Beermen.
"Today we're the ones who set the tone," said Austria, whose team actually got off to a 12-0 start and started the second with five straight points to go up by 37-21 before dodging a Romeo- and Guinto-led charge fightback to take a 51-46 lead at the turn.
