June Mar Fajardo versus Meralco defender. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel Beermen had started to build up steam heading into the quarterfinals for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup with three straight wins in the tail end of the elimination round.
Crawling from the brink of elimination, the Beermen have now assured themselves of a spot in the quarterfinals with momentum to boot.
But Meralco, which also needed a win to get a playoff for the no.8 spot, changed the narrative and dealt San Miguel a 95-91 loss Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The loss halted San Miguel’s upward momentum and dropped them to seventh place with 5-6 card. Nevertheless, there is still a sense of immense confidence coming from the Beermen as the playoffs begin.
“We’re still pretty confident, we can do this and win our games,” said Fajardo in Filipino. “We just have to trust the team, trust the system, and we know we can do it. We just have to be positive.”
Fajardo, who had 27 points and 13 rebounds, said he doesn’t mind who the Beermen will face in the quarterfinals.
With TNT overwhelming Magnolia in the second game, San Miguel has sealed a showdown with no. 2 NorthPort, which has a twice-to-win advantage.
“We can play whoever, it doesn’t really matter,” said Fajardo, the league’s only five-time MVP. “We just have to play at our best and we don’t really have the right to choose.”
“We’ll play our best but the good thing is we’re in the playoffs and we’re not eliminated.”