Fajardo drops 33, tows San Miguel to 2-1 lead

Game tomorrow:

(Mall of Asia Arena)

7:30 p.m. — San Miguel vs TNT

San Miguel Beer shook off a lethargic fourth quarter start before finding its rhythm to blow out the TNT Tropang 5G, 108-88, in Game 3 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup finals for a 2-1 best-of-seven series lead Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

A huge 18-5 closing barrage rescued the Beermen from almost squandering an 18-point lead after a dry spell in the first five minutes of the payoff period for their back-to-back wins.   

Big man June Mar Fajardo had a field day inside the painted area with TNT center Poy Erram sidelined with an ankle injury, picking up 33 points on an efficient 12-of-15 field goal shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds for San Miguel. All of Fajardo’s baskets came down low as the Beermen scored 48 points in the paint.

Chris Ross had 15 points, highlighted by four triples while Jericho Cruz and CJ Perez got 13 and 12 markers, respectively, for San Miguel, which will try to extend its lead in Game 4 on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.  

“I think it’s the experience of the players, they know that the fourth quarter is pivotal. The killer’s instinct of the players especially June Mar Fajardo and Chris Ross,” San Miguel coach Leo Austria said.

“They know how to handle the finals. This is a very important game, a third game, or first game in a (virtual) best-of-five series.”   

The Beermen poured 37 points in the second quarter to turn a three-point deficit at the end of the opening period into a 59-52 advantage entering the break.

San Miguel maintained its torrid shooting in the third as it built an imposing 18-point lead, 84-66, after Trollano sank pair of free throws with 54 seconds left.

RR Pogoy finished with 16 points, Calvin Oftana had 15 while Almond Vosotros added 14 markers off the bench for the grand slam-seeking TNT, which turned the ball over 18 times that San Miguel converted to 32 turnover points.  

Meanwhile, Terrafirma will stay in the league after negotiations for the franchise’s sale to the interested party Zamboanga Valientes hit a dead end.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial announced the development during the halftime of Game 3.

“Regarding the Terrafirma-Valintes negotiation, it bogged down. The deal between the two didn’t materialize,” Marcial said.

“So, Terrafirma will remain in the league. So we’re still 12 teams in the 50th (PBA season).”

The PBA Board held a meeting on Thursday with the Dyip’s status included as one of its main agenda.

“There were terms and requirements that both parties failed to meet. We know how negotiations go. It seemed that they couldn’t agree on some terms. It’s a mutual decision not to pursue the sale and purchase,” PBA legal counsel Atty. Ogie Narvasa explained.

Narvasa added that Terrafirma team governor Bobby Rosales assured that the Dyip will beef up and have a full lineup for the golden anniversary season of Asia’s first play-for-pay cage league.

Last April, negotiations with Starhorse Shipping Lines also collapsed.   

Terrafirma currently has seven players with live contracts and still owns the rights for inactive players Terrence Romeo, Christian Standhardinger, Roosevelt Adams and Javi Gomez de Liano.

The Dyip have been a perennial cellar dweller since joining the league in 2014.

Terrafirma opened the all-Filipino Conference with a win before losing the next 10. The Dyip finished the 2024-2025 season with a combined 3-30 win-loss record.