The San Miguel Beermen suffered another tough defeat in the East Asia Super League (EASL), falling 84-74 to Hong Kong Eastern on Wednesday at the Philsports Arena.
San Miguel kept the game close late in the fourth quarter, narrowing the gap to 75-68 with 3:29 remaining after a basket from June Mar Fajardo. However, Eastern responded with crucial plays, including a key basket from Chris McLaughlin at the 2:33 mark. Back-to-back buckets from Kobey Lam and Cameron Clark extended Eastern’s lead to 12 points with under a minute left. Although Don Trollano and Juami Tiongson added late points for San Miguel, Lam’s final basket sealed the game for Eastern.
Strong Start by Eastern
Eastern dominated early, racing to a commanding 30-11 lead after the first quarter and maintaining a 48-32 advantage at halftime.
Fajardo delivered an impressive performance for San Miguel with 20 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal. Trollano matched Fajardo’s scoring output with 20 points of his own. However, their efforts weren’t enough to secure the Beermen’s first win, as they dropped to 0-5.
Cameron Clark led the charge for Hong Kong Eastern, posting a double-double with 25 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and a block. McLaughlin contributed 15 points to help Eastern improve to a 3-2 record.
What’s Next for San Miguel
With the Beermen officially out of playoff contention, their next opportunity to break into the win column will come on February 12 against the Suwon KT Sonicboom.