Banged-up SMB hopes to come back stronger — and healthier — next PBA conference

The San Miguel Beermen's first order of business will be to get healthy — and stay healthy — after injuries affected their run in the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup.

SMB head coach Leo Austria said the priority will be getting the players in top shape before they go back to drawing board and formulate a game plan for the next conference.

"We want to really get back to the finals next conference but we have to make sure that everyone's health is at its 100-percent," Austria shared to GMA News Online.

"Injuries hurt our campaign in the Philippine Cup and we want to avoid those when we return."

SMB recorded its share of injuries in the ongoing All-Filipino conference, where they failed to make it to the finals after falling to TNT Tropang Giga in their semifinals clash.

When the PBA moved their games from Pasig to Pampanga, San Miguel's veteran guard Alex Cabagnot was out of the team's lineup due to a knee injury. The 38-year-old guard only made his comeback in the team's quarterfinal Game 1 win over NorthPort, where he drained the game-winning bucket.

Even in the absence of Cabagnot, the injury bug continued to hit the Beermen when Terrence Romeo suffered a foot injury that dealt another blow to the team's backcourt rotation. It was his second injury of the conference as he previously sustained a knee injury at the start of their Philippine Cup bid last July.

Big man Mo Tautuaa also hurt his knee during the team's do-or-die Game 7 against TNT.

Austria believed avoiding these could have given them different results but conceded that they will just have to move on as they eye redemption next conference.

"We really took a hit with those injuries but those were out of our control. We can't avoid those," the multi-titled mentor said.

"The best thing to do now is to get better and make sure that we're all healthy."

—JMB, GMA News