Defending champion San Miguel Beer pulled within a win of a return trip to the championship after routing Barangay Ginebra, 115-109, in Game 5 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Philippine Cup semifinals on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Beermen staved off the Kings’ late fightback from 17 points down to regain the best-of-seven series advantage, 3-2.

Bigman June Mar Fajardo rediscovered his offensive flow after a two-game scoring slump, posting 21 points capped by a crucial pair of insurance foul shots that gave the Beermen some breathing room, 113-109, with 8.3 seconds remaining after Ginebra pulled within two.

Fajardo pulled down 11 rebounds

CJ Perez added 20 markers, Mo Tautuaa got 18 points and nine boards while Marcio Lassiter hit four triples to finish with 16 markers for San Miguel, which used a strong second quarter to create a significant separation that they maintained to cushion the Kings’ late fightback.      

San Miguel will go for the clincher on Friday for the right to face TNT in a rematch of last season’s all-Filipino conference title showdown.

The Tropang 5G finished off Meralco, 99-96, to close out their series, 4-1.

Ginebra, on the other hand, will look to extend the semis series rematch to a second straight Game 7 on Sunday.

RJ Abarrientos slashed the Beermen’s once imposing, 101-84, lead in the last 8:11 of the game to just 111-109 after hitting a three-pointer.

Perez missed two foul shots in the next play but Ross tapped the offensive board as Fajardo was sent to the line.

Ginebra had a chance to go for an equalizer but San Miguel thwarted its play off a timeout, forcing Stephen Holt to commit a bad pass.

Lassiter sealed it with two charities.

Scottie Thompson led the Kings with 20 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block.

Abarrientos had 18 markers, Holt got 17 while Japeth Aguilar finished with 16 points for Ginebra, who lost starter Troy Rosario to a pulled groin muscle in the first quarter.