The San Miguel Beermen (SMB) have officially made history by bagging their fifth All-Filipino Cup championship title, overcoming being down by 17 points during Game Seven of the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup best-of-seven series and conquering the Magnolia Hotshots, 72-71, in front of more than 13,000 people at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao last Wednesday, May 15.
Although five-time reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) June Mar Fajardo also broke the record for most rebounds at 31, the Beermen also struggled in the second period and broke the record for the lowest-scoring quarter by only scoring five. From the first half, they were struggling with a 17-point deficit against the Hotshots, but were able to come back in the third.
It was a total of 31 rebounds and 17 points for Cebuano big man Fajardo, becoming the Finals MVP for the third-time, averaging 22.9 points, 19.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game during the series. Alex Cabagnot was the highest pointer at 18 points, including the game-winning shot to seal the deal at the last 57 seconds. Teammate Arwind Santos got a double-double like Fajardo, chipping 17 points and 11 rebounds and went three-for-three with his shots beyond the arc. Chris Ross and Marcio Lassiter also added seven and five points respectively, while Terrence Romeo and Christian Standhardinger each contributed four points, enjoying their first experience as PBA champions.
For Magnolia, it was Ian Sangalang who fought hard with 18 points. Rafi Reavis and Paul Lee each added 11 points, while Jio Jalalon and Mark Barroca contributed eight points and seven points respectively.
After the game, SMB head coach Leo Austria kept it short and sweet, saying, “Thank you to my players. You made me look like a great coach.”
This is the San Miguel franchise’s 26th championship overall.