Newly crowned Best Player Fajardo stamps class as San Miguel trips Meralco to tie PBA finals

MANILA, Philippines – June Mar Fajardo rediscovered his dominant ways as San Miguel tied the PBA Philippine Cup finals anew after a 111-101 win over Meralco in Game 4 at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, June 12.

On the same day he won a record-extending 10th Best Player of the Conference award, Fajardo proved to be unstoppable, posting 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting on top of 13 rebounds and 1 block.

It was a bounce-back performance for the 6-foot-10 big man after struggling in Game 3, which saw him attempt just 5 field goals and finish with 12 points.

Fajardo matched his Game 3 tally in the opening quarter alone as San Miguel grabbed an early lead en route to its highest scoring output in the best-of-seven series after being held to under 90 points twice.

CJ Perez backstopped Fajardo with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Marcio Lassiter unloaded 18 points.

Bolts star Chris Newsome put the team on his back with a career-high 40 points to go with 6 rebounds and 4 assists, but his stellar outing went down the drain as Meralco missed out on a chance to take a 3-1 series lead.

Fourth quarter

FINAL: San Miguel ties the best-of-seven series at 2-2 with a 111-101 win
SAN MIGUEL 111-101: Chris Newsome hits his freebies
SAN MIGUEL 111-99: Chris Ross with the free throw split
SAN MIGUEL 110-99: CJ Perez again
SAN MIGUEL 108-99: Cliff Hodge scores
SAN MIGUEL 108-97: CJ Perez lays it in
SAN MIGUEL 106-97: June Mar Fajardo 1/2
SAN MIGUEL 105-97: CJ Perez to June Mar Fajardo
SAN MIGUEL 103-97: Chris Newsome also 2/2 at the stripe
SAN MIGUEL 103-95: Mo Tautuaa swishes both foul shots
SAN MIGUEL 101-95: Bong Quinto 2/2 at the line
SAN MIGUEL 101-93: Chris Ross makes his freebies
SAN MIGUEL 99-93: Chris Newsome and-one. He resets his career-high, now with 36 points
SAN MIGUEL 99-90: June Mar Fajardo offensive rebound and putback
SAN MIGUEL 97-90: Chris Newsome 2/2 with his free throws
SAN MIGUEL 97-88: Marcio Lassiter from long range
SAN MIGUEL 94-88: Cliff Hodge makes the second after missing the first free throw
SAN MIGUEL 94-87: CJ Perez split
SAN MIGUEL 93-87: June Mar Fajardo 1/2 at the line
SAN MIGUEL 92-87: Chris Banchero completes the fast break
SAN MIGUEL 92-85: June Mar Fajardo drops it to Mo Tautuaa
SAN MIGUEL 90-85: Terrence Romeo off the June Mar Fajardo screen
SAN MIGUEL 88-85: Chris Newsome makes his free throws. He has 31 points
SAN MIGUEL 88-83: Chris Banchero splits his charity shots
SAN MIGUEL 88-82: Cliff Hodge floater
SAN MIGUEL 88-80: Terrence Romeo stepback jumper
SAN MIGUEL 86-80: June Mar Fajardo sinks his free throws
SAN MIGUEL 84-80: Chris Newsome fadeaway
SAN MIGUEL 84-78: Second chance is good for Allein Maliksi
SAN MIGUEL 84-76: Chris Newsome from the top of the key
SAN MIGUEL 84-74: Jericho Cruz putback

Third quarter

END OF 3Q: Vic Manuel gives San Miguel an 82-74 lead
SAN MIGUEL 80-74: Chris Newsome and-one
SAN MIGUEL 80-71: 6-0 Beermen run after that CJ Perez layup
SAN MIGUEL 78-71: Jericho Cruz attacks
SAN MIGUEL 76-71: Vic Manuel again
SAN MIGUEL 74-71: Chris Banchero hits his freebies
SAN MIGUEL 74-69: Don Trollano answers with his own trey
SAN MIGUEL 71-69: Chris Newsome triple
SAN MIGUEL 71-66: Vic Manuel spin move
SAN MIGUEL 69-66: Chris Banchero 2/2 at the stripe
SAN MIGUEL 69-64: Brandon Bates hook shot
SAN MIGUEL 69-62: Chris Banchero for three after a pair of Brandon Bates blocks
SAN MIGUEL 69-59: Allein Maliksi back-to-back 1/2 trips
SAN MIGUEL 69-58: CJ Perez over Brandon Bates
SAN MIGUEL 67-58: Chris Newsome keeping Meralco afloat
SAN MIGUEL 67-56: Allein Maliksi 1/2 at the line
SAN MIGUEL 67-55: Don Trollano long bomb
SAN MIGUEL 64-55: CJ Perez split
SAN MIGUEL 63-55: Chris Newsome three-point play
SAN MIGUEL 63-52: Marcio Lassiter left wide open for the trey
SAN MIGUEL 60-52: Chris Newsome from downtown
SAN MIGUEL 60-49: Marcio Lassiter for three
SAN MIGUEL 57-49: CJ Perez free throws
SAN MIGUEL 55-49: 7 straight points for Cliff Hodge
SAN MIGUEL 55-47: Cliff Hodge again
SAN MIGUEL 55-45: Cliff Hodge and-one
SAN MIGUEL 55-42: Mo Tautuaa inside
SAN MIGUEL 53-42: June Mar Fajardo layup
SAN MIGUEL 51-42: Chris Newsome with the first bucket of the second half

Second quarter

HALFTIME: Strong finish for San Miguel as pushes its lead to 51-40:
SAN MIGUEL 51-40: Chris Newsome makes the first free throw but misses the second
SAN MIGUEL 51-39: June Mar Fajardo reverse layup
SAN MIGUEL 49-39: June Mar Fajardo foul shots
SAN MIGUEL 47-39: Chris Ross steal and and-one
SAN MIGUEL 44-39: June Mar Fajardo free throws
SAN MIGUEL 42-39: Cliff Hodge with another split
SAN MIGUEL 42-38: Vic Manuel 2/2 at the line
SAN MIGUEL 40-38: Chris Newsome tough shot
SAN MIGUEL 40-36: Marcio Lassiter coast to coast
SAN MIGUEL 38-36: CJ Perez hits his freebies
36-36: Raymond Almazan ties it up
SAN MIGUEL 36-34: Mo Tautuaa with the split
SAN MIGUEL 35-34: Jansen Rios contributes
SAN MIGUEL 35-32: CJ Perez 2/2 at the stripe
SAN MIGUEL 33-32: Chris Banchero with his first basket of the second quarter
SAN MIGUEL 33-30: CJ Perez jumper is good
SAN MIGUEL 31-30: Cliff Hodge foul shot
SAN MIGUEL 31-29: Free throw split for Cliff Hodge
SAN MIGUEL 31-28: Bong Quinto gets the roll
SAN MIGUEL 31-26: Don Trollano makes his charity shots
SAN MIGUEL 29-26: Brandon Bates putback dunk
SAN MIGUEL 29-24: Allein Maliksi opens the second-quarter scoring

First quarter

END OF 1Q: Hot start for San Miguel as it builds a 29-22 lead
SAN MIGUEL 29-22: Chris Newsome perfect at the line
SAN MIGUEL 29-20: Terrence Romeo from downtown
SAN MIGUEL 26-20: Chris Banchero flips it in
SAN MIGUEL 26-18: Tough Chris Newsome shot
SAN MIGUEL 26-16: Jericho Cruz makes it a double-digit game again with a free throw
SAN MIGUEL 25-16: Chris Banchero short stab
SAN MIGUEL 25-14: June Mar Fajardo continues to dominate
SAN MIGUEL 23-14: Allein Maliksi layup
SAN MIGUEL 23-12: Allein Maliksi 1/2 with his freebies
SAN MIGUEL 23-11: Chris Banchero makes his free throws
SAN MIGUEL 23-9: June Mar Fajardo again
SAN MIGUEL 21-9: 6 straight points for June Mar Fajardo
SAN MIGUEL 19-9: June Mar Fajardo makes it a double-digit lead
SAN MIGUEL 17-9: June Mar Fajardo 2/2 at the line
SAN MIGUEL 15-9: Chris Newsome drives to the rim
SAN MIGUEL 15-7: Marcio Lassiter heating up
SAN MIGUEL 13-7: Cliff Hodge coast to coast
SAN MIGUEL 13-5: Marcio Lassiter for three
SAN MIGUEL 10-5: Chris Banchero floater
SAN MIGUEL 10-3: Mo Tautuaa scores
SAN MIGUEL 8-3: Bong Quinto baseline jumper
SAN MIGUEL 8-1: CJ Perez again
SAN MIGUEL 6-1: Chris Banchero splits his free throws
SAN MIGUEL 6-0: CJ Perez attacks
SAN MIGUEL 4-0: Marcio Lassiter banks it in
SAN MIGUEL 2-0: June Mar Fajardo breaks the scoring ice

Starters

Meralco: Newsome, Almazan, Banchero, Quinto, Hodge
San Miguel: Fajardo, Perez, Lassiter, Ross, Tautuaa

Preview

Back in the driver’s seat.

After a stunning late-game collapse in Game 2, the Meralco Bolts are once again in control of the PBA Philippine Cup finals after gutting out a 93-89 Game 3 victory over the San Miguel Beermen.

Now up 2-1, the Bolts shoot for a commanding 3-1 lead, while the Beermen aim for another equalizer when both teams face off in Game 4 of their thrilling best-of-seven series on Wednesday, June 12, at the Araneta Coliseum.

Looking to bounce back from their disappointing Game 2 meltdown, it was Chris Newsome who took over for the Bolts late in Game 3 as he hit the clutch go-ahead triple with 34 seconds remaining.

Newsome was on a mission in Game 3, finishing with a season-high 26 points, along with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks.

Aside from Newsome, Meralco center Raymond Almazan stepped up huge on both ends of the floor, dropping a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds, on top of 3 blocks.

Look for Newsome, Almazan, and other Meralco veterans such as Bong Quinto and Cliff Hodge to show the way for the Bolts anew in Game 4 as they try to move on the cusp of their first title in franchise history.

For the Beermen, expect June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez to redeem themselves after being limited to just 12 and 18 points, respectively, in Game 3.

Meralco’s frontcourt defense held the seven-time PBA MVP Fajardo to only five attempts in Game 3, while Perez shot a lowly 6-of-19 clip after erupting for 34 points in their Game 2 win.

Game time is 7:30 pm. – Rappler.com