Beermen foil Bolts, secure last semis slot
SAN MIGUEL Beer’s June Mar Fajardo and Meralco’s Reynel Hugnatan watch as an SMB basket goes in in last night’s game at the Big Dome. AUGUST DELA CRUZ
JUNE Mar Fajardo scored 22 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and had two blocks as the San Miguel Beer cornerstone fulfilled a pre-game pledge to hurdle Meralco in their knockout match for a Final Four berth in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
Fajardo, the leading Best Player of the Conference and season MVP candidate, scored all but two of his output in the last three periods for the Beermen who ran away with a 102-86 win and sealed a semifinal clash with Rain or Shine starting Thursday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“You can see it in his eyes, he was very determined,” San Miguel coach Leo Austria said of Fajardo, who promised him after Sunday’s practice: “Don’t worry, coach, we will win.”
Arizona Reid scored 29 points and Marcio Lassiter hit 15 of his 17 in the final two frames to back up Fajardo, whose bid for a second straight MVP was greatly enhanced by the Beermen’s entry into the Final Four.
The Bolts, who forged this decider after scoring a 106-99 victory in Game 1, couldn’t get it together this time, even though they again put up a big fight by moving within 64-63 late in the third period after being down by as many as 14 points in the first half.
Tournament top seed Alaska and No. 4 Star open Final Four hostilities at 7 p.m. tomorrow.
San Miguel started out hot and closed out the first period ahead, 30-18. The Beermen never trailed the whole game.
Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra coach Frankie Lim was summoned to appear at the Commissioner’s Office today to explain his side regarding the incident that took place in the third quarter of the Gin Kings’ quarterfinal loss to the Alaska Aces last Friday.
Lim was slapped a technical foul after appearing to have touched Alaska’s Calvin Abueva in front of the Ginebra bench. Sources said commissioner Chito Salud “saw something” that could result in a hefty fine for Lim.
The scores:
SAN MIGUEL 102—Reid 29, Fajardo 22, Lassiter 17, Santos 15,Tubid 8, Espinas 5, Lutz 2, Cabagnot 2, Ross 2.
MERALCO 86—Emmett 28, Hugnatan 17, David 16, Cortez 7, Dillinger 5, Nabong 5, Hodge 5, Anthony 3, Ando 0, Atkins 0, Guevarra 0.
Quarters: 30-18, 49-42, 67-65, 102-86
