February 7, 2024 – SM Mall of Asia Arena, Manila

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Storylines:

1. Can the Philippines start the season on a high?

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The Philippines have a disappointing 9-25 record in the history of EASL, dating back to the 2018 EASL Super 8.

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The San Miguel Beermen's most recent EASL outing came in the 2023 EASL Champions Week, where they came out of Japan winless, with a point difference of -83 in two games. This included an annihilation by eventual Champions Week winners, Anyang KGC, 142-87.

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“I think we’re more prepared this time,” said Beermen veteran Chris Ross, who was part of the 2023 Champions Week team. “The last time we went in, we didn’t know what to expect … Now that we know what to expect, we are going in there with more experience. Now we’re looking forward to playing games and adjusting throughout the season and hopefully, we will fare better this time.”

Their performance on the international stage did not translate in the Philippines, as SMB have been in the Finals for three of the last five PBA tournaments, including winning the 2023 PBA Philippine Cup and the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

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Can San Miguel break the PBA snide and put the Philippines on its winning ways?

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2. Close but no cigar for KT

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Suwon KT Sonicboom are coming off their second-best KBL finish in franchise history, reaching the KBL finals for the second time in 27 years of existence.

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Off of Heo Hoon’s playoff heroics, who averaged 18.6 points in the playoffs en route to winning the 2024 KBL Finals MVP, Suwon pushed past Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus and Changwon LG Sakers in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

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Facing a fifth-seed Busan KCC Egis, despite Heo averaging 26.6 points in the finals, KT’s run stopped, with their first KBL title eluding them once again.

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With their domestic hopes dashed, can they find the motivation to win it all on the EASL stage?

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3. Raining from deep

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Both San Miguel Beermen and Suwon KT Sonicboom are great perimeter shooting teams.

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Over the course of the Beermen’s 2023-24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup run, they hit 10.8 3’s per game at a 34% clip. In contrast, KT hit 9.2 3’s per game last season in the KBL, scoring 35.2% of their shots from deep.

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San Miguel sharpshooter Marcio Lassiter, who became the PBA’s all-time 3-point leader with 1,251 career 3-pointers on Sep. 15, will lead the way for the Beermen, while Heo Hoon, who averaged 3.6 three’s in the KBL Finals last season, will do the same for Suwon.

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Players to Watch

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San Miguel Beermen (Philippines - PBA)

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#15 June Mar Fajardo – C

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• Philippines NCAA: University of Cebu (2007-11)
  • 2010 National Collegiate Player of the Year
• 2012 PBA Draft: 1st overall pick – San Miguel Beermen
  • 10× PBA champion (2014–15 Philippine, 2015 Governors', 2015–16 Philippine, 2016–17 Philippine, 2017 Commissioner's, 2017–18 Philippine, 2019 Philippine, 2019 Commissioner's, 2022 Philippine, 2023–24 Commissioner's)
  • 4× PBA Finals MVP (2015 Governors', 2017–18 Philippine, 2019 Philippine, 2022 Philippine)
  • 8× PBA Most Valuable Player (2014–2019, 2023, 2024)
  • 10× PBA Best Player of the Conference (2013–14 Philippine, 2014–15 Philippine, 2015 Governors', 2015–16 Philippine, 2016–17 Philippine, 2017–18 Philippine, 2018 Commissioner's, 2019 Philippine, 2022 Philippine, 2024 Philippine)
  • 9× PBA All-Star (2013–2019, 2023, 2024)
  • 9× PBA Mythical First Team (2014–2019, 2021, 2023, 2024)
  • 2013 PBA Mythical Second Team
  • 2015 PBA Defensive Player of the Year
  • 7× PBA All-Defensive Team (2014, 2015, 2017–2019, 2023, 2024)
  • 2013 PBA All-Rookie Team
  • 2021 PBA Comeback Player of the Year
  • 3× PBA Order of Merit (2018, 2019, 2024)
  • 2× PBA Sportsmanship award (2015, 2016)
  • 2014 PBA Most Improved Player
• 2023-24 PBA Commissioners’ Cup season stats:
  • 16.2 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 2.5 apg

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#7 Terrence Romeo – G

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• Philippines NCAA: Far Eastern University (2010-13)some text
  • 2013 UAAP Most Valuable Player
  • 2× UAAP Mythical Team (2012, 2013)
  • 2010 UAAP Rookie of the Year
• 2013 PBA Draft: 5th overall pick – Barako Bull Energy Cola
  • 3× PBA champion (2019 Philippine, 2019 Commissioner's, 2023–24 Commissioner's)
  • 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals MVP
  • 7× PBA All-Star (2015–2019, 2023, 2024)
  • 3× PBA All-Star Game MVP (2015, 2017 Visayas, 2018 Luzon)
  • 2016 PBA Mythical First Team
  • 2015 PBA Mythical Second Team
  • 2014 PBA All-Rookie Team
  • 2015 PBA Most Improved Player
  • 3× PBA Scoring Champion (2015–2017)
  • 2× PBA All-Star Three-Point Shootout champion (2015, 2016)
  • 2019 PBA Mr. Quality Minutes
• 2023-24 PBA Commissioners’ Cup season stats:
  • 12.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 3.7 apg

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#30 Quincy Miller – PF

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• USA NCAA Division 1: Baylor (2011-12)
  • 2012 NCAA Big 12 All-Rookie Team
• Former NBA player (Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Detroit Pistons)
  • 2015 NBA Draft: 2nd round, 38th overall pick – Denver Nuggets
  • NBA career stats: 4.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg; NBA career-best season: 4.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg (Denver Nuggets – 2013-14)
• Former NBA D-League player (Iowa Energy, Reno Bighorns, Grand Rapids Drive)
  • 2015 NBA D-League All-Star
• Serbia: Crvena zvezda
  • 2016 All-EuroLeague Second Team
  • 2016 ABA League champion
  • 2016 Serbian League champion
• Israel: Maccabi Tel Aviv
  • 2017 Israeli Cup winner
• 2011 Jordan Brand Classic All-American
• 2010 5-star high school recruit
• USA U-18 Men’s National Basketball Team (2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship: Gold)
• EASL 2023-24 Season stats:
  • 28.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.3 spg

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‍Suwon KT Sonicboom (KBL)‍

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#2 Heo Hoon – G

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• University: South Korea - Yonsei University
• South Korea: KBL – Suwon KT Sonicboom
  • 2017 KBL Draft: 1st round, 1st pick
  • 2x KBL Best 5 (2020, 2021)
  • 2020 KBL Most Valuable Player
• 2023-24 KBL season:
  • 16.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 3.9 apg

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#0 Ha Yoon-Ki – C

• University: South Korea - Korea University
• South Korea: KBL – Suwon KT Sonicboom
  • 2021 KBL Draft: 1st round, 2nd pick
  • 2021-22 KBL Dunk Contest Winner
  • 2022-23 KBL Defensive 5
• 2023-24 KBL season:
  • 14.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.5 apg

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#35 Rayshaun Hammonds – F

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• USA NCAA Division I: Georgia (2011-15; Connecticut (2017-20)
• Former NBA G League player Fort Wayne Mad Ants (2021)
• Team History:
  • Latvia: LBL - VEF Rīga (2021-22)
    • 2022 LBL Champion
    • 2022 Latvian Cup Champion
    • 2022 Latvian-Estonian Basketball League Champion
• Germany: BBL – BG Göttingen (2022-23)
• Russia: VTB United League – Avtodor (2023-24)
• Greece: GBL - Kolossos Rodou (2021-22)
• Puerto Rico: BSN – Santeros de Aguada (2024)
• South Korea: KBL – Suwon KT Sonicboom (2024-)

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‍By the Numbers‍

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‍San Miguel Beermen (Philippines – PBA)

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• Team History:
  • Founded: 1975
  • 29x PBA Champion
• 2024 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Champions
  • Elimination Round: 8-3 record; 2nd in the standings
  • Playoffs: defeated Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in quarterfinals; defeated Barangay Ginebra San Miguel 3-0 in semifinals; defeated Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots 4-2 in finals
• EASL 2023-24 Season upcoming games:
  • Home vs. Suwon KT Sonicboom (KBL) – October 2, 2024
  • Home vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) – November 13, 2024
  • Away vs. Hong Kong Eastern (HK) – December 18, 2024
  • Away vs. Hiroshima Dragonflies (B.LEAGUE) – January 8, 2025
  • Home vs. Hong Kong Eastern (HK) – January 15, 2025
  • Away vs. Suwon KT Sonicboom (KBL) – February 12, 2025
• EASL History:
  • 2023 EASL Champions Week: San Miguel Beermen went 0-2, losing to B.LEAGUE-side Ryukyu Golden Kings and KBL-side Anyang KGC
  • 2019 Terrific 12: San Miguel Beermen went 2-0 in the Group Stage, before losing to Zhejiang Guangsha Lions in the 3rd Place Game
• 2023-24 PBA Commissioner's Cup Statistical Leaders:
  • Points: Bennie Boatwright Jr. – 30.3 ppg
  • Rebounds: June Mar Fajardo – 12.0 rpg
  • Assists: Chris Ross – 4.3 apg
  • Steals: CJ Perez – 2.3 spg
  • Blocks: June Mar Fajardo – 2.3 bpg‍

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Suwon KT Sonicboom (South Korea – KBL)

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• Team History:
  • Founded: 1997
  • 2x KBL Championships runners-up (2006-07; 2023-24)
  • 2011 KBL regular season champions
• 2024 KBL Runners-Up
  • Regular Season: 33-21 record; 3rd in KBL Regular Season Standings
  • Playoffs: defeated Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus 3-1 in quarterfinals; defeated Changwon LG Sakers 3-2 in semifinals; lost to Busan KCC Egis 4-1 in finals
• EASL 2024-25 Season upcoming games:
  • Away vs. San Miguel Beermen (PBA) – October 2, 2024
  • Home vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) – October 23, 2024
  • Home vs. Hiroshima Dragonflies (B.LEAGUE) – December 4, 2024
  • Away vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) – December 11, 2024
  • Away vs. Hong Kong Eastern (HK) – January 7, 2025
  • Home vs. San Miguel Beermen (PBA) – February 12, 2025
• 2024 KBL season stat leaders:
  • Points: Paris Bass – 25.4 ppg
  • Rebounds: Paris Bass – 10.9 rpg
  • Assists: Jeong Seong-Woo – 4.7 apg
  • Steals: Paris Bass – 1.8 spg
  • Blocks: Paris Bass – 0.6 bpg