PBA Commissioner’s Cup: Bay Area Dragons set up play-offs finals clash with Ginebra
- Chinese franchise battle past San Miguel Beermen with 94-92 win in Game 4 of semi-finals as fairy tale maiden season continues
- ‘We are younger and faster, so we need to play with speed and energy,’ Glen Yang says ahead of Christmas Day tip-off in best-of-seven series
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The Bay Area Dragons lived up to expectations and advanced to the play-offs finals of the Philippine Basketball Association’s Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday night.
Competing as a guest team in their debut season, the league leaders beat San Miguel Beermen 94-92 in Game 4 of the semi-finals for a 3-1 series win.
Import Andrew Nicholson powered the Dragons with a game-winning three-pointer – his sixth of the day – with less than two minutes to go. He finished with some monstrous displays, chipping in a game-high 42 points to go with 21 boards.
Hong Kong basketball star Glen Yang continued to feature some heavy minutes – just as he did in the regular season and previous play-offs rounds – despite going through a rough night shooting only one-for-seven and fouling out in the final minute of the game.
“Game 4 was not my best shooting night and I also had some foul troubles similar to Game 3,” 26-year-old Yang said.
“The referees are calling it tighter than during the regular season and early rounds so I need to adjust to that in the finals.
“I just need to stay patient and locked in with picking my spots and shooting through cold spells. I felt like I was facilitating and defending well. I had a pretty up-and-down semi-finals so hopefully I can find consistency in the finals on all ends.”
The Dragons will play Barangay Ginebra San Miguel – one of only two teams to defeat them in the regular season – in the finals.
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Hong Kong centre Duncan Reid is certain that the stadium will be packed, and that the atmosphere will be intense, with Ginebra one of the most popular teams in the Philippines.
“They are a talented and well-coached team,” Reid said. “This will be a long and challenging series but as a team, we have been growing with each game and we are ready for the challenge.”
Reid said the Dragons must watch out for Justin Brownlee, who averaged 28 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists per game this season, and play tough defence to prevail in the finals.
“Justin is one of the best imports in the league and the heart of their team, slowing him down will be vital for us,” 33-year-old Reid said.
Yang, who averaged a team-high 38 minutes per game this season, echoed his fellow Hong Kong star’s sentiments.
“We are at our best when we play elite defence. We also need to match the physicality that the referees and Ginebra will be playing with,” the Dragons’ starting point guard said.
The Dragons lost to Ginebra in an 18-point blowout in early October, when Brownlee dropped 46 points on the night. But the Chinese franchise have their advantages.
“We are younger and faster than them so we need to play with speed and energy. When we play like that it is tough for any team to match up with us,” Yang, who averaged 11.5 points, 6 rebounds and 5.5 assists this season, said.
Game 1 of the best-of-seven series will tip off on Christmas Day, with another game just three days apart.
