In the PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup, NorthPort continued to defy expectations and disprove skeptics by sweeping San Miguel Corp. teams in the elimination round on Tuesday night for the first time in the franchise’s history.

But that achievement had to be earned.

Before Kadeem Jack’s game-winning basket against the Beermen, 105-104, ended a two-game losing streak and put the Batang Pier back in the running for the two twice-to-beat incentives, they blew a 24-point lead.

According to PBA statistics chief Fidel Mangonon, the Batang Pier beat two out of three SMC teams in both the 2013 Commissioner’s Cup and the 2017 Philippine Cup, coming close to winning a treble against SMC.

NorthPort ended a 14-game losing streak against the Gin Kings by defeating Magnolia 107-103 on December 3 and Barangay Ginebra 109-106 on January 8 in this conference.

A championship-caliber team like the Beermen can never be counted out, therefore head coach Bonnie Tan told the players going into the fourth quarter to expect a San Miguel comeback, according to NorthPort assistant coach Rensy Bajar.

“Lagi naming pinaalalang mga coaches especially si coach Bonnie, during crunch time and the fourth quarter, San Miguel is San Miguel. They are a champion team. They will come back anytime, and their players, mag-step up anytime,” remarked Bajar, who covered for Tan at the press conference after the game.

According to Arvin Tolentino, he did not anticipate that NorthPort’s matchup with San Miguel would be easy.

NorthPort works hard

Following consecutive defeats that had NorthPort pay a heavy price for their sluggish beginnings, averaging 19.5 first-quarter points, Tolentino claimed to have had two difficult sessions before the match against SMB.

Tolentino said, “We were talking about starting the game strong since dalawang game na kaming flat na nag-start, offense and defense. We actually practiced hard nung isang araw para to get the guys going. And ‘yun nag-pay off naman ‘yung result ngayon,”.

Tolentino claimed that the team eventually resumed playing together.

This NorthPort team is here to compete, Bajar reiterated after their victory over Ginebra.

“Itong team na ito is just making a statement na we are real. Etong mga players na ito, they will play 100 percent each game. Even in the playoffs, kung sino man makaharap namin, we will just play our game,” Bajar remarked.