The San Miguel Beermen celebrate their 22nd PBA title in historic fashion. The Beermen beat the Alaska Aces, 96-89, in Game 7 of the 2016 PBA Philippine Cup Finals on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, before a crowd of 23,616 at Mall of Asia Arena. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
San Miguel Beer pulled off the greatest comeback in PBA history after outlasting Alaska, 96-89, in Game 7 of their 2016 Philippine Cup Finals to become the first team in the league to recover from a 0-3 hole on Wednesday night before a sellout crowd at Mall of Asia Arena.
Reigning back-to-back MVP June Mar Fajardo and starting guard Chris Ross powered the Beermen, who blew a 21-point lead before recovering late in the fourth quarter to repel the Aces’ rally, with 21 points each.
Fajardo, who missed the first four games of the series due to a swollen left knee, also hauled down 15 rebounds while Ross, known more for his defense, went 4-of-6 from long range and collected five rebounds and five assists.
Chris Banchero spearheaded the Aces’ comeback scoring the bulk of his 21 points in the final frame while Calvin Abueva added 16 points and nine rebounds.