The Mets are on to the second round of the 2023 BSN playoffs.
With a 92 – 86 win over Arecibo on Monday, Guaynabo completed a 4 – 0 sweep of the Capitanes and became the first team to advance to the semifinals. They now await the winner of the series between Carolina and Quebradillas.
Based on how the Mets played in their first-round matchup, they should be favored against the Giants or the Pirates.
Fresh off Omar González being named BSN Coach of the Year for the 2023 season, and showing off a deep and impressive attack, the Mets put the rest of the playoff field on notice as they dominated the Capitanes.
Each of their four first-round victories featured a different Mets player earning Player of the Game honors. In Game 1, it was Mitch Creek leading the charge with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals as Guaynabo triumphed, 96 – 82. Game 2 saw Gary Browne come up just shy of a triple double, posting 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists in the 93 – 77 victory. Then it was Jaysean Paige putting up 34 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists in a 111 – 96 Game 3 win. And in Game 4, Demarcus Cousins scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for the Mets, who came from behind to win 92 – 86 and finish the sweep.
The series was a rematch of the 2021 finals, when the Capitanes won the championship in six games over the Mets. Even though this year’s Mets team looks a lot different than the team that came up just short of a title two year ago, Renaldo Balkman, one of four players from the 2021 Mets still on the team, said sweeping Arecibo provided some measure of revenge.
“It means a lot,” Balkman told El Nuevo Día, calling the rematch a “chance to be better.”
Guaynabo has certainly been better after missing out on the postseason last year and starting this year’s regular season 1 – 8. But according to reigning Coach of the Year Omar González, the team always believed it could win a championship, even when they were struggling early on.
E.J. Crawford, who was also on the 2021 Mets and had a strong series for Guaynabo versus Arecibo, credited González’s leadership for the team’s improvement. He said this version of the Mets is better than two years ago, but is keeping his focus on the present.
“Now for the next thing,” said Crawford.
Jonathan Han, a member of the Mets since 2020, didn’t want to get wrapped up in the past, either. He credited the team’s impressive guard duo of Paige and Browne, both acquired in offseason trades, and versatile big man Cousins for fueling the team’s recent success.
“We have the most dominant import center in DeMarcus Cousins. Gary playing at an MVP level. We have a deep team this year. I think we are a dangerous team now. We are difficult to face,” said Han.
The Mets have made the semifinals for the third time in four seasons. But they aren’t getting caught up on past achievements or settling old scores. While beating Arecibo the way they did was satisfying, Gonzalez, Balkman, Crawford, Han, and the rest of the team know that further success will depend on continuing to work hard on themselves and make adjustments against whichever team they face next.
The team’s goal, stated by owner Marc Grossman at a press conference in 2020 announcing the return of the Mets franchise, is the same today as it was then: to bring a championship to the city of Guaynabo.
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