An old name finally made its return to the PBA on Friday night and did a thing it is most accustomed to.

San Miguel Beer, three years out of the league after the franchise used another brand name, demolished Meralco, 94-76, in its Commissioner’s Cup debut even with an import who is on the way out and its cornerstone watching from the sidelines at the Araneta Coliseum.

After playing as the Petron Blaze Boosters for the last three seasons, the Beermen returned with their familiar red-and-white jerseys and were unrelenting all night, breaking free from a 20-all first quarter to win with a lot left in the tank.

And that was despite informing Josh Boone, a certified National Basketball Association starter with the New Jersey Nets, before game time that a replacement was on the way.

Still, Boone played like the consummate professional that he is, shooting 16 points that went with the same number of boards as he got the Beermen off on the right foot in the import-spiced tournament.

“We applaud the level of professionalism of our import,” Todd Purves, that American who is San Miguel’s active consultant, said while seated beside head coach Biboy Ravanes.

“Right now, I am really happy to get a win. We tried to create some chemistry out there and the guys really played hard,” Purves added. “I thought Josh was more than professional tonight. He gave a hard effort.” Kevin Jones, an NBA D-League veteran who last saw action for the Canton Charge in the Chinese Basketball Association, is set to plane in within the next 24 hours to take over, possibly when the Beermen battle Barangay Ginebra on Sunday.

Purves, though, refused to say when the replacement will be formally made.

“Until management decides (on replacing Boone), I cannot comment on that,” he said.

Ginebra, meanwhile, was another squad that had a new look to its game as Juno Sauler, the coach of UAAP champion La Salle, called the shots even with listed head coach Ato Agustin also on the bench.

And Sauler also had a great league debut as the Gin Kings shot down Barako Bull, 108-104, in overtime, after coming back from five points down with just over a minute left in regulation.

Leon Rodgers scored 31 points that went with eight rebounds and four assists and Chris Ellis scattered 17, including the triple that forged extension at 93-all with seven seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

“It’s a collective effort among the coaches in preparing the team,” Agustin said as Sauler did not appear before reporters for the post-game interview.

Sauler could get in trouble with the UAAP board since it bars coaches from performing head coaching capacities in the professional league.

Barako Bull threw away several golden chances to post the tournament’s first upset, as it failed to cling on to a 92-87 lead with under two minutes left in regulation.

Josh Dollard debuted with aplomb for the Energy, finishing with 45 points, 18 rebounds and three assists before fouling out with 1:26 left in overtime and giving Barako Bull a great handicap.

Japeth Aguilar scored 14 points andf Greg Slaughter had 12 like Mark Caguioa for Ginebra.

Meanwhile, Slaughter, the 7-foot rookie, and San Miguel’s Marcio Lassiter, both begged off from joining the Gilas Pilipinas pool.

The duo claimed that they don’t deserve to be in the national team that will play in the World Cup in Spain in August since they were not part of the original team that won the silver medal in the Fiba-Asia Championship in Manila last August.

“I know the feeling of people coming in to something you’ve already started. I think what they started back in August, those 12 should be the ones to go on and represent the country,” Slaughter said.

“I just feel like it’s right that the people who started that, they worked so hard, I think they deserve this.” Lassiter, on the other hand, also said that he has not made it back to 100% health ever since taking a bad fall in the in a Philippine Cup game two seasons ago.

“I just don’t feel that I can give my 100% to the Gilas team,” Lassiter said. “That would be unfair to the other players who have sacrificed a lot to win in the Fiba-Asia.”