Perez, Fajardo power San Miguel to big win, secure top-four spot in PBA Philippine Cup

0Shares

San Miguel Beer’s firepower and depth were on full display Wednesday, Dec. 17, as CJ Perez and June Mar Fajardo led the Beermen to a 135-115 win over Terrafirma at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, securing a coveted top-four slot in the PBA Philippine Cup playoffs.

Perez scored 17 of his 26 points in the third quarter, lifting San Miguel from a sluggish start to control the game and extend the lead to as much as 135-111. Fajardo added his second career triple-double with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, while role players Jericho Cruz and Jeron Teng combined for 88 points to fuel the offensive surge.

CJ Perez drives past Terrafirma defenders en route to 26 points in San Miguel’s win. [PBA Images]

Beermen secure top-four playoff berth

The victory gave San Miguel an 8-2 record, assuring at least the No. 2 seed in the standings. They could rise to No. 1 if co-leader Rain or Shine loses to Barangay Ginebra in Bahrain early Thursday (Manila time). The top-four finish carries a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals, a goal coach Leo Austria emphasized from the start of the conference.

“That’s a welcome development for us. This is our goal since the start of the conference, to get to the top four because of the incentive,” Austria said. “Right now we don’t know yet kung sino makakalaban, but still we have to work hard because a lot of teams are really hard to beat.”

SMB’s second-half surge proves decisive

Terrafirma jumped out to a 19-8 lead, taking advantage of San Miguel’s slow start. Perez sparked the Beermen’s turnaround, scoring efficiently in the third quarter while matching Terrafirma’s output early, before exiting at the 4:49 mark. By then, San Miguel had built a 69-59 lead.

Despite Terrafirma’s effort, contributions from Cruz, JM Calma, and Don Trollano helped San Miguel pull away to a 95-80 margin heading into the final period. Austria credited his players for adjusting after a lethargic first half.

“On our side we were so relaxed. That’s the reason why it was a catch-up situation for us,” Austria said. “Fortunately, we have CJ. Talagang kanina nagpakita kung ano meron siya.”

The win marked San Miguel Beer’s eighth straight victory in the Philippine Cup, setting up a confident finish to the elimination round before their final matchup against Meralco on Friday.