The two hottest teams of the PBA Philippine Cup—the San Miguel Beermen and Meralco Bolts—met to close out the league’s Friday double-header at Ninoy Aquino Stadium. In the end, however, the Beermen proved too good even for the red-hot Bolts, pulling out a 113–104 victory to secure the top seed at 9–2. Meralco, on the other hand, dropped to 6–5 and will enter the quarters with a twice-to-win disadvantage.
What Happened?
San Miguel and Meralco traded haymakers early and often in the first quarter, with the Beermen ultimately grabbing a 29–25 advantage after one. The second quarter turned into a defensive battle, with San Miguel adding to its lead, 49–41, after outscoring the Bolts again, 20–16. The Beermen then flexed their might in the third, outgunning Meralco, 34–26, to double their lead to 83–65 after three. San Miguel then cruised to victory in the final canto as the Bolts couldn’t unleash a game-changing run.
Who Stood Out?
San Miguel got big games from its Big Three of June Mar Fajardo, CJay Perez, and Don Trollano. Fajardo was an immovable force in the paint, totaling 24 points on 7-for-10 shooting, on top of 15 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Perez added 24 of his own to go along with four rebounds and four assists, while Trollano came off the bench to chip in 21 markers.
Meralco, on the other hand, again got a solid game from CJ Cansino, who finished with 21 markers—his fourth straight game of scoring at least 20.
3 Keys to the Game
- June Mar Fajardo. Content on setting up his defense against the Terrafirma Dyip, Fajardo turned it up against the Bolts as he imposed his will early and often. An aggressive JMF not only put up points but also served as the fulcrum of the San Miguel offense, opening up opportunities for Perez and the rest of the Beermen.
- Bench play. As has been the case in most of San Miguel’s wins, the bench again stepped up, with Trollano providing a spark with his 21 points and Jericho Cruz and Jeron Teng giving the Beermen quality minutes.
- Third-quarter storm. Meralco was well within striking distance after 24 minutes of action, but a strong third quarter from San Miguel put the Bolts behind the proverbial eight ball, and they couldn’t recover from that 16-point deficit going into the fourth quarter.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA Philippine Cup will play its final double-header of the eliminations on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. This twin bill will see TNT and the Magnolia Hotshots clash in the first game and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the Titan Ultra Giant Risers face off in the second game. Both games have bearing on the seedings and will impact who finishes where.
TNT vs. Magnolia (5:15 p.m.)
Ginebra vs. Titan Ultra (7:30 p.m.)
