San Miguel Beermen power forward Vic Manuel muscled his way and lifted his team to beat the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Giga in Game 2.
The man who is also known as the “Muscleman” went almost unstoppable, particularly in the fourth quarter where the Beermen pounded TNT and mounted a 15-point lead. Manuel finished the game with 20 points and four rebounds while having efficient shooting from the field with his 10-of-19 field goals.
“Struggle kami ng husto sa Game 1, at pinagtrabahuhan namin ng husto ito ngayon,” said Manuel.
In Game 1, Manuel struggled as he only made nine points and also logged five personal fouls which limits his defensive movement just to stay in the game longer. He also shot 33% from the field in that Finals opener.
Manuel is one of the players acquired by San Miguel during the past off-season after the famed franchise calibrated its roster. The 6-foot-4 bruiser faced the Beermen several times in the Finals during his time with the Alaska Aces and this time around is eager to win a ring with his new ball club.
“Kailangan tulungan ko lang yung teammates ko. Alam ko naman lagi silang nasa finals, lagi silang nagtsa-champion, kaya tulong lang ako,” he said. “Hindi naman ako puwedeng mag-relax lang at mag-aabang ka na lang na mag-champion na wala ka namang naitutulong.”
“So may chance pa. Hangga’t nandito ako at naglalaro, alam ko makakakuha ako (ng championship),” he added.
Marcio Lassiter also went explosive in the second game of the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup Finals where he delivered 19 points while CJ Perez remains consistent as he led SMB in scoring with 23 markers.
Game 3 of the championship round will resume on Friday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Gametime is at 5:45 PM.