Watching Kean get stretchered off the court was one of those moments that just hits you right in the gut—but it also lit a fire in the rest of the team. I’ve been covering basketball for over a decade, and I can tell you, moments like these often become turning points in ways you wouldn’t expect. That’s exactly what happened in Game 3 between SMB and Meralco, a matchup that had fans on the edge of their seats from tip-off to the final buzzer. The game wasn’t just about skill or strategy; it was about heart, resilience, and those split-second decisions that either make or break a team’s chances.
From the opening quarter, you could feel the intensity. SMB came out strong, putting up 28 points in the first 12 minutes, with June Mar Fajardo dominating the paint like only he can. But Meralco wasn’t going down without a fight—their backcourt, led by Chris Newsome, kept finding gaps and answering with clutch shots. By halftime, the score was tied at 52 apiece, and honestly, I thought we were in for another one of those back-and-forth battles that go down to the wire. What stood out to me, though, was the defensive adjustments SMB made early in the third quarter. They started double-teaming Meralco’s primary scorers, forcing turnovers that led to fast breaks. In my view, that’s where the momentum started to shift, even if the scoreboard didn’t show it right away.
Then came the incident with Kean. I’ve seen injuries disrupt team chemistry before, but this was different. As he was being carried off, you could see the mix of concern and determination in his teammates’ eyes. One player later told me, “When I was watching him getting stretchered off the court, it was also like a motivation and a sign for us to step up.” And step up they did. In the minutes that followed, SMB went on a 12-2 run, with CJ Perez and Marcio Lassiter hitting back-to-back three-pointers that brought the crowd to its feet. Perez finished with 24 points and 5 assists, while Lassiter added 18, including four triples. Those numbers might not seem extraordinary, but the timing was everything. Meralco, on the other hand, seemed to lose their rhythm. They shot just 38% from the field in the second half, compared to SMB’s 52%, and that efficiency gap ultimately decided the game.
What really stood out to me, though, was how SMB’s bench responded. With Kean out, players like Moala Tautuaa stepped into bigger roles and delivered. Tautuaa contributed 14 points and 8 rebounds in just 22 minutes—a performance that, in my opinion, deserves more recognition. It’s one thing to have star players carry the load, but when your role players rise to the occasion, that’s what separates good teams from great ones. On the Meralco side, despite Newsome’s 26-point effort, they struggled with ball movement in crunch time, committing 16 turnovers overall. I’ve always believed that turnovers are a reflection of mental fatigue, and in a high-stakes game like this, every possession counts.
By the fourth quarter, SMB had built a lead that Meralco just couldn’t overcome. The final score, 98-89, might suggest a comfortable win, but anyone who watched the game knows it was anything but. The turning point wasn’t just a single play or a tactical adjustment—it was that emotional jolt from Kean’s injury that fueled SMB’s second-half surge. Looking back, I think this game will be remembered not only for the result but for the way it showcased the unpredictable nature of playoff basketball. As a fan of the sport, I love seeing how adversity can bring out the best in teams, and SMB’s response was a perfect example. If they can carry this momentum into the next game, Meralco will have their work cut out for them.