June Mar Fajardo TRISTAN TAMAYO/INQUIRER.net
As San Miguel stepped on the court of Smart Araneta Coliseum to close out Rain or Shine in the fourth quarter, a 12-point margin separated the two teams, 89-77, but a quiet storm was brewing.
Fourth quarter of Game Two between the two teams would be the Elasto Painters’ canvas and the Beermen would be subject.
Marcio Lassiter would explode in the fourth with five of his 10 three-pointers coming in the final frame but Wendell McKines would score 18 of his 53 points in the same period, torturing MVP June Mar Fajardo in the process.
Fajardo’s Beermen would crumble against McKines’ attack as they lost 113-110.
Finishing the game with five fouls, Fajardo said their whole defense just buckled in the final period.
“Our defense was wrong, we didn’t really understand each other defensively in the game,” Fajardo said.
He finished with 15 points, none in the fourth quarter, but he was McKines’ foul machine in the final frame.
“Rain or Shine’s game plan was to bring me outside,” Fajardo said.
McKines shot 26 free throws and made 20 of them, several of those trips were courtesy of Fajardo.
As the lights inside the dome of Smart Araneta Coliseum dimmed, so did the joy in San Miguel’s locker room.
Fajardo said everything was quiet as they let Rain or Shine outscore them 36-21 in the fourth, and they had nothing left to do but fix themselves up in practice on Sunday.
“Tomorrow, practice, see what went wrong and bounce back in Game Three.”