Nothing sharpens San Miguel Beer quite like a threat to its playoff positioning. Against Terrafirma, that urgency turned June Mar Fajardo from a 9.0-point scorer into a conference-high force and powered the Beermen to a 135-105 rout at Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday, October 14.

George King added 44 points as San Miguel bounced back from a 98-116 loss to TNT last Saturday, improving to 8-3 in the PBA Governors’ Cup. The win keeps the Beermen in position to chase a top-two spot heading into the crossover quarterfinals.

The numbers tell only part of the story. San Miguel started poorly and looked vulnerable until Fajardo and King took charge, offering a glimpse of the team coach Leo Austria wants in the quarterfinals.

Fajardo Flips the Script in PBA Governors’ Cup

San Miguel trailed 28-33 early in the second period after a sluggish start, and the Beermen needed someone to steady them. Fajardo answered with 13 of his 25 points and nine of his 12 rebounds in that quarter alone.

His surge flipped a five-point deficit into a 64-47 lead at halftime. Fajardo entered the night averaging just 9.0 points, so his 25-point outing, a conference high for him, stood out even more for the veteran center.

Fajardo said Austria reminded the team that this was a must-win game because the standings were crucial for the Beermen. A loss, he explained, would have made the standings messy, so the team had to lock in the victory.

He also credited his teammates and the coaching staff, saying the team stepped up in the game and got the win. The performance was a reminder of his impact for a player averaging single digits entering the game.

King then kept the foot on the gas, scoring 30 of his 44 points in the two middle quarters. San Miguel ballooned its lead to 96-67, and Terrafirma had no answer as the game turned into a 30-point rout.

King’s 44 points marked the night’s top individual haul, and his two-quarter explosion complemented Fajardo’s work inside. Together, the pair gave San Miguel balance that Terrafirma could not match once the Beermen settled in.

Beermen Eye Top Two as NLEX Showdown Looms

Austria said he was trying to remind his players that the game was very important to maintaining their position in the top two. That spot is the one San Miguel is targeting going into the crossover quarterfinals.

He was pleased that the players recovered from their poor start and recalled their sense of urgency. San Miguel stayed sharp even though it had already secured a quarterfinals berth, a sign of the focus Austria is demanding.

The Beermen sit just behind Group A leader NLEX. The two teams meet on Oct. 21 in a game that wraps up their elimination round assignments, with San Miguel eyeing a top-two finish.

With the Fajardo-King pairing clicking, San Miguel should carry momentum into that game. Still, the loss to TNT only days earlier showed how quickly the Beermen can stumble when the urgency fades, and Austria knows it.

Terrafirma, meanwhile, fell for the seventh time in 11 games. Justin Strings scored 28 points with nine rebounds, and Maverick Ahanmisi added 23 points and nine assists, but Juami Tiongson was limited to 10.

The Dyip could not sustain a fine start that had kept them in step with the Beermen. They now turn to Titan Ultra on Saturday, hoping to find a bright note in a difficult conference.