Facing deficit nothing new for deadlock-seeking San Miguel Beer

June Mar Fajardo and the San Miguel Beermen in Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against Meralco Bolts. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

San Miguel Beer is in a precarious, yet familiar predicament which it will try to overcome in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals when it stands up to Meralco’s first of two chances to end its long search for a championship.

Game 6 is set 6:15 p.m. on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum, where the defending champion Beermen will try to solve the woes that allowed the Bolts to seize a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series two nights earlier.

“For sure we will bounce back in the next game,” June Mar Fajardo said as San Miguel eyes a repeat of similar scenarios in past championship runs.

Fell short twice

It’s the fourth time that San Miguel is in a virtual twice-to-win scenario in a Finals in Fajardo’s well-documented career in the big league, eventually hoisting a title on two of those occasions.

The Beermen defeated the Magnolia Hotshots after losing Game 5 to win the 2019 Philippine Cup, before doing the same three years in the same conference by taking down the TNT Tropang Giga.

Fajardo wound up getting the Finals MVP award from the PBA Press Corps on both occasions.

But Fajardo also fell short twice, back in the 2013 Governors’ Cup in his rookie season and when the Beermen were known as the Petron Blaze Boosters, falling short to the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers in seven games.

In the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup, the Beermen ended up with the runner-up trophy as well after Barangay Ginebra overcame a 2-1 deficit, taking the next three to emerge victorious.