MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Beer bucked a slow start behind a searing second half offensive to clobber Macau, 123-109 for a winning debut in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup on Tuesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
The Beermen trailed by as many as 11 points in the second period as they struggled to find their rhythm in the absence of nine-time league Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo.
The 6-foot-10 SMB star center sat out due to an elbow injury he sustained while playing for Gilas in the recent FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
The Beermen also didn’t have coach Leo Austria at the sidelines due to an illness.
Assistant coach Peter Martin called the shots for San Miguel Beer, which exploded for 70 points in the last two periods, while limiting Macau to just 51 en route to chalking the win.
Import George King scored 30 points, five rebounds and seven assists in his PBA return after a two-conference stint with Blackwater a year ago.
CJ Perez added 21, Jericho Cruz scored 20, while newly-acquired guard Jerrick Ahanmisi blended well with his new teammates to finish with 16 markers.
De’Vondre Perry led the Giant Pandas with 25 points, while Damian Chongqui and Kobey Lam had 22 each.
Macau dropped to 0-2 after opening the conference last week with a 114-75 spanking at the hands of NLEX.
