Marcio Lassiter and CJ Perez came up big when June Mar Fajardo struggled, lifting San Miguel Beer to a 111-93 victory over Rain or Shine on Sunday, October 19, at the Ynares Center in Montalban.

CJ Perez led all scorers with 23 points, while Lassiter recovered from a first-half incident to score all 18 of his points in the fourth quarter, providing the Beermen with a crucial push to break away from the Elasto Painters. Fajardo, limited in the opening three quarters, managed to find his rhythm late, scattering 14 of his 17 points in the final period as San Miguel extended the lead to 105-80. The win came after consecutive losses to NLEX and Phoenix.

Lassiter returns after early injury

Lassiter suffered a nose injury in the second quarter when he was hit by Leonard Santillan at the 6:59 mark, forcing him to leave for the dugout temporarily. “I wasn’t sure if I had to be rushed to the hospital or not, but I’m just glad I could come back in the second half,” said Lassiter, who had been averaging just 8.5 points.

He emphasized the sense of urgency the team faced, given their 0-2 start in the conference. “I wanted to come out and help coach and help my teammates get this win. Everyone’s playing through injuries, and that’s what you do—make sacrifices and motivate everyone to play harder.”

Coach Leo Austria noted that the team was still finding its rhythm after an extended break following their title run. “We’re not in top shape compared to the other teams because they started their training two months before the tournament. I gave our guys time to relax and enjoy after the championship,” Austria explained.

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Rain or Shine struggles to sustain early defensive effort

The Elasto Painters managed to limit Fajardo early, holding the 6’10 center to just three points and five turnovers in the first three periods while he collected seven rebounds heading to the final frame. However, Rain or Shine could not translate their early defensive success into offensive production, particularly from the perimeter, where the Beermen went plus-11 overall, and in the paint, where San Miguel outscored them by 12 in the fourth quarter.

Adrian Nocum led Rain or Shine with 17 points, while Jhonard Clarito and Gian Mamuyac added 16 apiece. Stanley Pringle, making his debut for the franchise, contributed 11 points.