San Miguel didn’t need a full-strength June Mar Fajardo to make a statement. Even with their star center sidelined for most of the night, the Beermen buried Barangay Ginebra 100-83 to even their semifinal series in the PBA Philippine Cup on Friday, June 27.

Game 2 flipped the script on San Miguel’s Game 1 collapse, where they squandered an 18-point lead in a crushing loss. This time, they made sure the Gin Kings had no opening, racing to a double-digit advantage early and never looking back.

SMB bench erupts as Lassiter, Trollano lead offensive storm

Marcio Lassiter fired 16 points, draining four triples to spark the Beermen’s scorching start. San Miguel’s bench backed him up with firepower: Don Trollano tallied 14 points, Kris Rosales had 13, and Jericho Cruz added 11. They shot nearly 49% from the field, a massive leap from their miserable 32% clip in the opener.

With Fajardo limited to just 17 minutes and two points, it was Moala Tautuaa who took over the middle. Starting in place of “The Kraken,” he delivered 10 points and 10 boards while CJ Perez added another 11 to keep the pressure on Ginebra throughout.

Austria salutes team effort and JMF’s leadership from the sidelines

Coach Leo Austria praised his players for stepping up, especially with Fajardo on restricted minutes. “Everyone knew they had to do more. We always say the team’s strength is in June Mar, but tonight we proved June Mar’s strength is in his teammates,” Austria said.

Fajardo’s presence, even in limited action, lit a fire under the Beermen. “He’s a warrior,” Austria added. “He showed up early, played through pain, and inspired the team just by being there.”

The Beermen set the tone from tip-off, with Lassiter hitting back-to-back threes to open a 21-9 lead. Unlike Game 1, San Miguel never allowed Ginebra to find momentum, and the result was a wire-to-wire rout that sets the stage for a heated Game 3.