Problem solved
In the eyes of the San Miguel Beermen, it seems that the import issues that have hounded them in previous conferences have been resolved with the way George King is performing through the early stages of the PBA Governors’ Cup.
“Very, very safe,” assistant coach Peter Martin said of the spot on the roster of King, who went off for 41 points in Wednesday’s 128-122 win over hard-fighting Converge that put the Beermen into a share of the lead in Group A of the season-ending conference.
King has helped San Miguel go 3-0, with the first two wins going against guest team Macau and Terrafirma, as he has gotten the support from his star-studded local cast.
‘A lot of luxuries’
CJ Perez and Marcio Lassiter were the other players who came through for the Beermen with 31 and 18, respectively, as the Beermen edged out the FiberXers in a battle of unbeaten squads.
“We have a lot of luxuries on this team because it’s gonna be somebody else’s night,” said King. “We have a lot of veterans, a lot of good players, a lot of talent. And that just goes back to how we’re gonna use our talent in a five-on-five setting.
“We have moments of that tonight. I’m just excited to be a part of it and to be here with this team,” added King, who was tapped by San Miguel after debuting with Blackwater in 2024.
The Beermen will be hoping to continue flourishing with King as reinforcement when they face another acid test on Sunday against fellow 3-0 team NLEx at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“It’s nice to be in this position,” he said. “But I think our next game might be the toughest one.”
Next games
Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra aims to bounce back on Friday against Blackwater in their 7:30 p.m. meeting at the Big Dome, beginning a stretch of two games in three nights.
Ginebra is still smarting from an 81-78 loss to Phoenix that spoiled its debut in the third conference and a 42-point effort from Riley Grigsby, tapped to reinforce the crowd favorites while Justin Brownlee is on the mend.
Grigsby will look to put the Gin Kings on the win column and help a side that will also be without the injured Scottie Thompson.
Other locals like RJ Abarrientos, Troy Rosario and Nards Pinto along with rookie John Abis are also seen as crucial in Ginebra’s quest.
Blackwater carries a 2-1 record after being dealt its first loss by Meralco last Tuesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Meralco goes for a 3-1 record against winless Magnolia in the opener at 5:15 p.m.
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