Beermen defend Philippine Cup crown
For San Miguel Beer, the flame of triumph continues to burn brightly, and its legacy remains unchallenged.
June Mar Fajardo and his teammates basked in the euphoria of victory once more, decisively overcoming old rivals TNT to secure back-to-back All-Filipino championships with a commanding 92-77 triumph in front of a passionate crowd exceeding 14,000 at the MOA Arena in Pasay City on Sunday night.
Fajardo unleashed a dominant performance, racking up an impressive 29 points and 23 rebounds, propelling the Beermen to this pivotal win. With this latest achievement, San Miguel Beer fortifies its status as the league’s most successful franchise, now holding a total of 12 Philippine Cup titles and 31 championships overall – more than twice that of the second-best team, Barangay Ginebra, which has secured 15.
Key contributions came from CJ Perez, Rodney Brondial, Marcio Lassiter, and Chris Ross, who played vital roles in the Beermen’s triumph, thwarting the Tropang 5G’s hopes of forcing a decisive Game 7.
Similar to their performance in the Season 49 Philippine Cup finals, the Beermen concluded the series in six games, further extending their dominance with an impressive eighth All-Filipino title during the June Mar Fajardo era.
Fajardo not only continued his personal championship streak but also added to his collection of Finals MVP awards – this time receiving a trophy named after the legendary Ramon Fernandez.
Humbly acknowledging his teammates, Fajardo emphasized that this success wouldn’t have been possible without their efforts.
San Miguel’s head coach, Leo Austria, now an 11-time champion coach, expressed his gratitude to his players, stating: “The stars here are the players because it’s their performance that makes me look good once again.”
In the pivotal clincher, Fajardo narrowly missed a remarkable 30-20 double-double, complemented by standout performances from Perez with 19 points, Brondial with 15, Lassiter with 13, and Chris Ross, who contributed nine points while delivering a staunch defensive effort against Calvin Oftana in the critical fourth quarter.
