Beermen clinch PBA Philippine Cup semifinals spot on Christmas night

0Shares

San Miguel Beer turned Christmas night into a celebration, locking up the first seat in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals with a 101-94 victory over NLEX on Thursday, December 25, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The defending champions shook off a slow start, leaning on experience and execution in the second half to keep their All-Filipino title defense firmly on course.

June Mar Fajardo delivered another dominant playoff outing, finishing with 26 points and 23 rebounds. Sixteen of those points came after halftime, when the six-time MVP imposed his will inside.

Don Trollano provided the perfect complement, scoring all 14 of his points in the second half. His third-quarter burst ignited the run that finally broke the game open.

June Mar Fajardo muscles through traffic as SMB storms into the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals. [PBA Images]

Second-half storm swings momentum

San Miguel Beer struggled to find rhythm early as NLEX controlled the pace in the opening half. The Road Warriors built a 20-13 lead and went into the break ahead, 53-47.

Everything changed in the third quarter. With Trollano leading the charge, the Beermen unloaded a blistering 16-0 run that erased the deficit and seized full control.

That surge fueled a 54-41 second-half advantage, turning a six-point halftime hole into a seven-point win and a berth in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.

Experience finishes the job

NLEX mounted a late push behind Robert Bolick, cutting the lead to 97-92 in the closing moments. Fajardo and Trollano answered with calm free throws and timely defensive stops to seal the clincher.

Bolick still produced a standout 31-point, 10-assist, seven-rebound performance in his first game back with NLEX after helping Gilas Pilipinas win gold at the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.

Coach Leo Austria credited his team’s composure, pointing to Fajardo’s ability to deliver when the pressure rises.

With the win, San Miguel Beer advanced to its fifth straight All-Filipino semifinals and stretched its winning streak to 10 games after an 0-2 start. The Beermen will face either the Converge FiberXers or the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings next.