MANILA — Missing in action in the first three games of the Finals, Alex Cabagnot finally showed up with all guns ablaze to lead the San Miguel Beermen to an 88-70 smashing of the Alaska Aces in Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup championship series on Wednesday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. Included in San Miguel's starting five for the first time in the series, the six-foot Cabagnot banged in 22 points, including four three-pointers, as San Miguel tied the best-of-seven series at 2-2. Game 5 is set for Friday, Jan. 16. Cabagnot, who was reacquired by the Beermen prior to the playoffs, came into the game averaging just 6.7 points on a 30.4 shooting percentage from the field in the first three games of the championship. But the star point guard immediately stamped his class early in the game, scoring 16 points in the first half alone as the Beermen ended the first half with a 23-point advantage, 49-26. Unlike in previous games, there was no second half meltdown this time for the Beermen despite the Aces' bid to once again launch a late-game blitz. Ronald Tubid also shone for San Miguel, firing 13 points off the bench, nine of them in the third quarter when the Beermen extended their lead to 55-26. Still playing with bandaged forehead, Arwind Santos also played a major role in SMB's victory, finishing with 11 points and 14 rebounds. After receiving the Best Player of the Conference award prior to the game, June Mar Fajardo likewise did not disappoint, finishing with a double-double 11 points and 11 rebounds. Two other Beermen finished with double-digit scoring, with Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter adding 11 and 10 points, respectively. Calvin Abueva was the lone double-digit scorer for Alaska, finishing with 22 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal. The rest of Alaska's starting five combined for only 10 points. The 25-year-old Fajardo earlier beat Abueva for the Best Player of the Conference award, the second time in two years he received the individual award. The 6'10” San Miguel center amassed a total of 1,141 points, way ahead of Abueva's 889 points. Fajardo is averaging a league career-high 18.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 1.7 assists this conference. Santos, the 2013 league MVP, came in third in the balloting with 523 total points, while Ginebra center Greg Slaughter had 392. Cabagnot had 390 points for fifth place.
