SMB ties PBA Philippine Cup Finals Series

FILE: Final: 114 – 98 in favor of the San Miguel Beermen! Best Player : June Mar Fajardo with 31 points, 14 rebounds and 13/14 FGs #PBAPhilCupFinals #PBALabanKungLaban” (Photo: PBA/Facebook)

The score is now 2-2 for the best-of-seven finals series between the San Miguel Beermen (SMB) and Magnolia Hotshots for the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup after the Beermen claimed victory over the Hotshots, who had an upper hand, 114-98, last Wednesday, May 8 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Six-time Best Player of the Conference awardee June Mar Fajardo used his strengths as a big man by scoring 31 points and finishing with 14 rebounds, only missing one of his 14 shots from the field and going 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Terrence Romeo stayed consistent from his last game as well with 18 points, while Chris Ross chipped 15. Christian Standhardinger, Arwind Santos, and Alex Cabagnot delivered double-digits as well with 13, 12, and 11 points respectively. For the Hotshots, it was Jio Jalanon and Mark Barroca who fought hard to retain their series lead with 22 points individually, while teammate Ian Sangalang contributed 19. However, they could not intervene with the Beermen’s successful 52 percent from the field.

“This is the kind of game we are looking for,” SMB head coach Leo Austria remarked, “From start to finish, we were able to sustain our energy. It’s a matter of effort and we were able to score a lot in the shaded area. That’s the time when our players can shoot from the perimeter, unlike last game.” He adds, “What I liked was that my players’ focus and pride prevailed tonight. It was a team effort. Everyone was so focused.”

As for Fajardo who dominated the night, he said that the “credit goes to the management, the coaching staff, and [his] teammates,” saying, “My coaches design the plays, my teammates create plays for me. So all credit goes to them. We were able to follow our game play. Everyone stepped up.”

Inching closer to hailing the winner, Game Five between Magnolia and SMB is happening on Friday, May 10 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.