SMB buries Gin Kings in G1 of best of 7 All Pinoy PBA Finals

MANILA -- Defending champion San Miguel Beer poured in cold water to destroy Ginebra Gin Kings in the opening salvo of Best of Seven All Pinoy Finals 105-74.The Beermen, led by Chris Ross, started hot and ended hot until the final buzzer in a game that filled Mall of Asia Arena where spectators expected a bloody war between rival sister-teams.Ross led the early attacks that surprised even Gin Kings coach Tim Cone. Ross led the Beermen with 17 points, eight assists and five reboundsand was chosen as best player of the game.June Mar Fajardo, who also scored 17, only played for 22 minutes, giving him enough rest for the rest of the conference.The Beermen unleashed a 17-2 run early in the first quarter to bury the leagues most popular team. There was no turning back for the Beermakers till the end. In the third quarter, the Beermen were unforgiving, burying the Gin Kings by as much as 36 points, an unusual for a team so popular to PBA history. I really don’t know what happened because I did not expect this kind of game. It was one-sided since the first quarter, coach Leo Austria said.Ross said the team played well to prove its a champion team aspiring for its third All Filipino cup title.The series' Game 2 is on Sunday at Quezon Convention Center in Lucena.ScoresandSAN MIGUEL 109 – Ross 17, Fajardo 17, Cabagnot 16, Espinas 16, Tubid 11, Santos 9, Lassiter 8, Agovida 7, Heruela 4, Reyes 2, De Ocampo 2, Van Opstal 0, Mabulac 0, McCarthy 0.GINEBRA 82 – Ellis 13, Cruz 12, Caguioa 12, Thompson 10, Taha 9, Tenorio 5, Aguilar 5, Mariano 4, Jamito 4, Devance 3, Mercado 2, Ferrer 2, Marcelo 1, Helterbrand 0, De Guzman 0.