June Mar Fajardo still has high hopes for SMB’s Commissioner’s Cup campaign

MANILA, Philippines—With a slow start in the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, San Miguel finds itself in a familiar uphill climb with five games remaining in its schedule.

The 118-82 clobbering the Beermen received from Magnolia sent loss sent them crashing to the 10th spot with a 2-4 record and they all their matches are virtual do-or-dies.

This predicament, however, isn’t new to the Beermen and five-time MVP June Mar Fajardo calmly said that they just have to step up.

“We will win as a team, we will lose as a team, we just have to bounce back in our next five games,” said Fajardo in Filipino.

The Beermen were also in bad form, by their standards, at the start of the All Filipino conference going 2-3 in their first five games before roaring to take a 7-4 record for the fifth seed.

Despite the rough start, San Miguel weathered every possible turbulent wind and claimed its fifth straight Philippine Cup after a brutal 72-71 Game 7 win over the Hotshots.

Fajardo said that all they need is to make it to the playoffs and they could start making their way up from there.

“Our goal is to get to the top six, we can still do that,” said Fajardo whom Magnolia shut down to five points and three rebounds. “We just have to step up as a whole, things aren’t over yet. We’re not eliminated yet.”