By Adrian Stewart Co

The San Miguel Beermen opened their 2019 Honda PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series with a 111-105 victory over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters last Saturday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Chris McCullough finished with 32 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists for the Beermen; while Christian Standhardinger came off the bench with 20 points and eight boards; Chris Ross hoisted five triples to finish with 19 points; Alex Cabagnot added 12; and Terrence Romeo scored 10 markers.
While Rain or Shine led by as much as 13 points, the Beermen managed to take a 33-31 edge off a Standhardinger hit but the Painters connected on outside hits for a 57-46 edge early in the third. However, San Miguel responded with Standhardinger and McCullough cutting into the Painters’ lead before surging to a 90-83 advantage in the fourth following a triple from Ross.
Holding to a slim 106-105 edge with just over two minutes left, McCullough scored on a three-point play and an inside basket as the Beermen established a six-point edge while tightening its defense on the Painters.
The two meet again tonight at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City./ASC, WDJ