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PBA Finals Game 5 San Miguel vs Meralco

On: June 14, 2024 By: admin

2024 PBA Philippine Cup Finals schedule (Game 5)

Smart Araneta Coliseum

7:30pm – San Miguel Beermen vs Meralco Bolts

FULL SCHEDULE HERE.

PBA Finals: Meralco, San Miguel brace for war with pivotal Game 5 up

San Miguel Beermen vs Meralco Bolts in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—There has been a popular notion in basketball that when a best-of-seven duel is tied at 2-2, whoever wins Game 5 wins the series.

While that may have proven true for several series in the past, players from Meralco and San Miguel don’t see the same thing going down in the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

Just ask Chris Newsome and Chris Ross, who will be leading their respective teams in the now-virtual best-of-three series for the All-Filipino trophy. FULL STORY

PBA Finals: With tiebreaker looming, Meralco tries to dig out more points

Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome during Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against San Miguel Beermen. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Producing the best scoring game of his PBA career with 40 points provided little silver lining for Meralco’s Chris Newsome after San Miguel Beer evened things up at 2-2 in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

“It’s great that I scored 40, but the win is definitely more important,” Newsome said after the Game 4 defeat on Wednesday night.

Newsome and the Bolts have another crack at getting a third win, and closer to their first-ever PBA title, in Friday’s pivotal fifth game of the series at Smart Araneta Coliseum. FULL STORY

PBA: Terrence Romeo determined to help San Miguel despite injury

San Miguel Beermen guard Terrence Romeo suits up in PBA Finals Game 4. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel Beer coach Jorge Gallent commended Terrence Romeo for playing through the pain in Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

In the Beermen’s 111-101 conquest of Meralco, Romeo played significant minutes despite nursing an aching calf.

Gallent said that Romeo insisted on playing for the Beermen in hopes of avoiding a 3-1 rut. FULL STORY

PBA: Chris Newsome’s career-best down the drain with Game 4 loss

Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome during Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against San Miguel Beermen. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—It may have been a career night for Chris Newsome, but that was the last thing on his mind after Meralco Bolts’ ‘ Game 4 loss to San Miguel in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

Newsome scored a career best 40 points only for the Bolts to lose to the Beermen and have the series pushed back to square one at 2-2.

“They made their adjustments. That’s what a playoff series is all about. They definitely came with a lot more energy today and you certainly saw it,” said Newsome. FULL STORY

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PBA Finals: With tiebreaker looming, Meralco tries to dig out more points

On: June 13, 2024 By: admin

Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome during Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against San Miguel Beermen. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

“It’s great that I scored 40, but the win is definitely more important,” Newsome said after the Game 4 defeat on Wednesday night.

Newsome and the Bolts have another crack at getting a third win, and closer to their first-ever PBA title, in Friday’s pivotal fifth game of the series at Smart Araneta Coliseum. But not only will the Bolts face the pressure of a tied series, they will enter the 7:30 p.m. contest in urgent need of a plan to figure out how to counter the adjustments San Miguel made in getting a 111-101 win two nights earlier.

The scoreline already offers a clue to how the Beermen succeeded in solving the Bolts defensive schemes. For the first time in the series, a team won by scoring at least 100 points.

A grindout, defensive affair has often favored the Bolts throughout their playoff run, and that was the reason Meralco won two of the first three games of the Finals.

But the Beermen finally showed their offensive juggernaut that they have been known for throughout the two-conference season.

June Mar Fajardo’s 28 points epitomized why there are now cracks in the vaunted Meralco defense that centered on making life miserable for the newly crowned Best Player of the Conference, while CJ Perez and Marcio Lassiter continued their consistent form in the series.

Balanced offense is key

And then the minutes provided by Vic Manuel and Terrence Romeo, who both played for the first time in the Finals, also proved vital.

“[San Miguel scoring 111 points] is definitely more than what we’re used to giving up,” Newsome said. “We have to go back and play Meralco basketball which is defensive-minded and I think we lost a bit of that [in Game 4].”Balanced offense will also be key for the Bolts as Newsome’s scoring output overshadowed a lack of support from some of the team’s key sources for baskets.

Allein Maliksi and Bong Quinto could only combine for 15 points on 5-of-19 shooting in Game 4. Both had scoring averages of at least 10 in the first three games.

Beermen coach Jorge Gallent wouldn’t mind making that a trend.

“As long as the rest don’t score, we’re fine,” said Gallent, who will also be wary of other Meralco players picking up the slack like Cliff Hodge.

Aside from being a pest on defense, Hodge has put up 14.8 points a game in the Finals, third on the team behind Newsome and guard Chris Banchero (16.3).

PBA Finals: Vic Manuel ‘happy, nervous’ in timely return for San Miguel

On: June 12, 2024 By: admin

San Miguel Beermen big man Vic Manuel during the PBA Philippine Cup Finals Game 4 vs Meralco Bolts. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

SCHEDULE: PBA Finals San Miguel vs Meralco

MANILA, Philippines—It’s been a long time since he last saw action, but Vic Manuel returned at the most opportune time for San Miguel Beermen.

Manuel has been in and out of the injured list for quite some time, but San Miguel Jorge Gallent believed that the “Muscle Man” was ready for action in the grandest stage in the PBA Philippine Cup.

“I’m very happy, but at the same time a bit nervous,” Manuel told Inquirer Sports in Filipino after the Beermen’s 111-101 win in Game 4 on Wednesday.

“I was gone for a while and my first game back is in the Finals. I just prepared myself because they told me to get ready yesterday in case I might be used. I told them I was always ready.

READ: PBA Finals: San Miguel gets back at Meralco to tie series at 2-2

“They also told me that no matter how many minutes would be given to me, just give everything that I could do to help the team.”

Manuel did the most out of his seven minutes on the court, immediately showing his impact for San Miguel Beer despite a long lay-off.

And he certainly showed why he was the recipient of the 2018 Quality Minutes award as he finished with eight points and two rebounds, missing only one shot out of four tries.

It was a glimpse of the dominant side of Manuel before his run with the Beermen was hampered by several lingering injuries.

READ: Bad news for San Miguel foes: Vic Manuel nears full recovery

Last year, he suffered a left leg injury which had kept him out of action for the majority of the Governors’ Cup.

That injury would continue to keep Manuel out of action in this year’s Commissioner’s Cup before he managed to check in more in the ongoing Philippine Cup.

“I’ve been dealing with this [leg injury] since last year. It’s been a long time since I played an actual game because all we did was a walkthrough in practice and we didn’t play 5-on-5, and before we got to the Finals, I got sick so at least I got a little rest.”

All of Manuel’s setbacks were just fuel for his gradual comeback on the playing court and Gallent is certainly taking notice of it.

“I’m really happy with Vic. Even if he had limited minutes, he really helped us a lot. His quality minutes were really great and he helped the team in today’s victory,” said Gallent.

“He’s just getting his breath back and it’s coming back because he’s doing extra work in practice. He wants his timing back and I’m sure it’s going to come back, I just hope it’s soon,” the veteran tactician added.

Should Manuel’s minutes in the Finals increase or decrease in the now-virtual best-of-three series, one thing is for sure: he will give his best as someone who’s already been in the grandest stage before.

“I’m already a veteran when it comes the Finals and the PBA so whatever challenge is given to me, I’m ready. No matter how many minutes they give me, I’ll give my best.”

PBA: June Mar Fajardo wins 10th Best Player of Conference award

On: June 12, 2024 By: admin

San Miguel Beermen’s June Mar Fajardo during the PBA Philippine Cup Finals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

SCHEDULE: PBA Finals San Miguel vs Meralco

MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo won his 10th Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award for the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.

Fajardo was awarded the BPC plum before Game 4 of the Finals between the Beermen and the Bolts at Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.

Prior to Game 4, the seven-time MVP averaged 17.4 points, 14.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 blocks per game.

Fajardo has been playing efficiently for the Beermen this conference, shooting 52.8 percent from the field in the All-Filipino derby.

READ: PBA Finals: Shackled June Mar Fajardo key to Meralco success

Fajardo edged out BPC finalists Stephen Holt of Terrafirma and Robert Bolick of NLEX. He also leapfrogged fellow San Miguel star CJ Perez and Ginebra big man Christian Standhardinger.

Bolick, responsible for the Road Warriors’ quarterfinal stint, led the league in scoring at the end of the elimination round with 28.3 points a night while Holt is still leading the Rookie of the Year talks with 21.08 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.4 steals per outing.

With 10 BPCs in his grasp, Fajardo remained the player with the most citations of the award.

PBA Finals: Shackled June Mar Fajardo key to Meralco success

On: June 10, 2024 By: admin

June Mar Fajardo–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

June Mar Fajardo found himself in a bind on Sunday night, his on-court struggles among the things that doomed San Miguel in Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup’s championship series.

“That’s just the way it is,” he told reporters in Filipino on the heels of a 93-89 loss to the Meralco Bolts at Smart Araneta Coliseum. “Credit to them, they’ve played great throughout this series.”

Easily the heart and soul of the vaunted club, Fajardo was shackled to just 12 points and was limited to his season-low five field-goal attempts.

The reigning MVP, who is on pace to win his 10th Best Player of the Conference award, also accounted for seven of the team’s 15 turnovers as the Beermen slid to a 2-1 hole.

“Their defense is great. They’ve got plenty of bigs, and they are quick with their rotations so it’s been tiring [for me],” Fajardo said of the opposition, who has the likes of Raymond Almazan, rookie Brandon Bates, Norbert Torres and even Kyle Pascual taking turns in defending the most dominant player in the league.

CJ Perez, the other steady presence for San Miguel in this All-Filipino derby, wasn’t too keen on pinning it all on his star teammate’s woes.

“It’s just the free throws,” he said in a separate chat. “Those were the most crucial. We missed seven in the last [minutes], and that was the story.”

Five of those muffed freebies, following a 75-all deadlock in the payoff frame, were from Perez. And those were just as critical in San Miguel’s defeat, the spitfire guard insists.

A closer examination of the Game 3 stats sheet, however, showed that San Miguel lost in both the rebounds and assists race. The Beermen only had 50 boards against the Bolts’ 57, and 15 assists versus Meralco’s 22.

‘Improve our energy’

Fajardo, Perez, and co. were also behind the challengers in points in the paint (36-32), second-chance points (22-11), and error conversions (20-13).

“We really need to improve our energy to beat Meralco. We’re losing in rebounds—offensive rebounds. And their hustle [plays],” said Perez.

The crafty guard, however, is confident that those issues can be addressed in the two-day lull heading into Wednesday’s Game 4 at the same venue.“It’s going to be crucial as we don’t want to be crushed (with a big deficit),” he said of the return match.

“The two days will be big for our rest. And of course, June Mar since he’s really having a hard time. He needs rest. And of course, we need to adjust whatever that is we need to adjust,” Perez added.

If anything, Perez and Fajardo can take comfort in the fact that San Miguel has yet to lose back-to-back games this tournament. The Beermen suffered that only once this season when they stumbled against NorthPort and then Magnolia in the previous Commissioner’s Cup which they eventually ruled.

It will be truly interesting to see how the decorated San Miguel side recoups against a Meralco crew hell-bent on making the most out of their first-ever Philippine Cup finals. INQ

Winning rebound battle key for Meralco in PBA Finals

On: June 9, 2024 By: admin

Meralco Bolts forward Cliff Hodge during Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against the San Miguel Beermen.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Meralco has been doing almost everything right in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals so far.

The Bolts on Sunday regained the upper hand in their best-of-seven series with the San Miguel Beermen after a pulsating win in Game 3 and while it was Chris Newsome’s late 3-pointer that propelled them to victory, winning the rebounding battle was another reason why they’re halfway there to a breakthrough championship.

“It’s definitely a focus of interest for us. We know that if we can dominate the rebounding, we’ll have a great shot at winning the game,” explained Hodge after Meralco’s 93-89 squeaker over San Miguel.

READ: PBA Finals: Chris Newsome, Meralco deliver own dagger in Game 3

“All the bigs have to guard June Mar (Fajardo) and try to slow him down. I mean he’s the best, the GOAT of the PBA and it’s a hard job for them to slow him down and they gotta box him out so I’m just trying to get as many rebounds as I can.”

Hodge came up big for the Bolts anew, notching a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, six of which on the offensive end.

Raymond Almazan also held it down for Meralco in the shaded area, finishing with 17 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out in the final minute.

READ: PBA Finals: Rest vital for SMB heading into Game 4, says CJ Perez

With Hodge and Almazan making their presence felt, the Bolts out-rebounded the Beermen, 57-50, which had been the case for the first three games of the finals.

Meralco had 22 offensive rebounds overall that led to 22 second-chance points.

Hodge, though, is fully aware that the battle is still far from over.

“We’ll definitely watch the viewing. I honestly don’t think we played that great of a game. [We] had a lot of mistakes defensively.”

“[We’ll] just clean up our game plan and clean up all our mistakes and focus on the next game. That’s about it.”

PBA Finals Game 3 San Miguel vs Meralco

On: June 9, 2024 By: admin

2024 PBA Philippine Cup Finals schedule (Game 3)

Smart Araneta Coliseum

6:15 p.m. – San Miguel Beermen vs Meralco Bolts

FULL SCHEDULE HERE.

San Miguel Beermen swingman Marcio Lassiter celebrates with his teammates late in Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against the Meralco Bolts.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Frosty for most of Friday night, San Miguel Beer marksman Marcio Lassiter came through in the final moments of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals, bailing the much-fancied Beermen out from what would have been a 0-2 hole against hard-fighting Meralco.

Despite a 1-for-7 shooting going into that final play, Lassiter hit a step-back triple from the left wing with 13.2 seconds remaining to give the Beermen the lead. It turned out to be the basket the defending champions needed to ultimately level the best-of-seven championship series to a game apiece.

Chris Newsome CJ Perez San Miguel Beermen Meralco Bolts PBA Finals

San Miguel Beer’s CJ Perez tries to score against Meralco’s Chris Newsome in Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

As much as Cliff Hodge described the heartbreaking loss Meralco absorbed in Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup as “just one game,” there’s also a reason for the Bolts to pity themselves for the missed chance of getting another win over San Miguel Beer.

“We should have won that. We had them on the ropes,” Hodge said before acknowledging the way the Beermen were able to pull off an escape act, 95-94, at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Meralco, San Miguel break PBA Finals tie

On: June 8, 2024 By: admin

“We should have won that. We had them on the ropes,” Hodge said before acknowledging the way the Beermen were able to pull off an escape act, 95-94, at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“It’s a championship team and they made the big plays when they needed to.”

Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m. for either of the Bolts and the Beermen to move two wins shy of lifting the Jun Bernardino Perpetual Trophy.

But despite having to settle for a 1-1 tie after two games of the best-of-seven championship series instead of being two-up on the tournament favorites going into Sunday’s Game 3 at the same venue, Hodge and the Bolts have reasons to be confident.

Triples from CJ Perez and Marcio Lassiter—the latter hitting the eventual winner—coupled with a split by Chris Banchero from the foul line and a missed layup down the stretch enabled San Miguel to escape, even after seeing Meralco have control for much of the second half.

Redemption game

Meralco’s defense has been stifling, most of the stops made resulting in baskets on the other end.

“I’m pretty confident in the way we’re playing right now,” said Hodge, who scored 25 points apart from his usual gung ho style on defense. “I feel like if we stick to the game plan, then we have a chance of winning every game.”

Redemption will likely be the battle cry the Bolts will carry once they return to the Big Dome floor, particularly Banchero, whose misses were bitter pills to swallow.

How they’ll respond is what coach Luigi Trillo and active consultant Nenad Vucinic were working on Saturday, and Meralco hopes to figure this out despite the quick turnaround.

“These are [the] type of games that you got to move on [from],” said Trillo. “At the same time, we also have to see the video and what kind of breakdowns occurred in Game 2.

“With that being said, we didn’t play that well,” added Trillo, whose team had to overcome early deficits and countless San Miguel responses in Game 2.

As disappointing as it was for the Bolts not to get the job done as they left the Big Dome on Friday, there’s still plenty of things to fight for.

And most importantly, still in a good position to achieve their ultimate mission of winning the franchise’s first PBA title.

“We want to win every game. But in a Finals series, no one sweeps the other team,” said Hodge.

Unlimited height for next season’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup

On: June 8, 2024 By: admin

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial during a press conference before the PBA Philippine Cup Finals Game 1. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—There will be some notable changes in the PBA’s rules when it comes to imports next season.

The Commissioner’s Cup will now allow unlimited height for imports, scrapping the previously imposed limit of a 6-foot-9, according to league chief Willie Marcial.

This change could pave the way for the likes of former Gilas Pilipinas player Andray Blatche and ex-NBA standout Dwight Howard to suit up for teams in the mid-season tournament.

READ: PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial: Fans are not leaving

“The board has agreed with my proposal to have unlimited height for the Commissioner’s Cup,” said Marcial before Game 1 of the PBA Finals last Wednesday, also announcing that the PBA is returning to the three-conference format: Governors’ Cup, Commissioner’s Cup then Philippine Cup.

The other import conference–the Governors’ Cup, which will usher in the new PBA season on August 8–will remain with a cap of 6-foot-6 for the reinforcements.

There will also be a whole new format for the first conference, adding more flavor to the upcoming season.

The 12 PBA teams will be divided into two pools. Teams in each pool with play in a double round-robin format while facing the other pool’s teams once in the elimination round.

READ: PBA’s problem: Translating large TV viewers into live audience

The playoffs format will have the same implications, minus the twice-to-beat advantages.

“There’ll be a new format. Governors Cup will have six and six [teams] in two groups… They’ll face their group mates twice and the other side’s teams once for a crossover. Quarterfinals will be best-of-five, semifinals will be a best-of-seven and Finals will be best-of-seven.”

“The other two conferences remain the same. Single round.”

Marcial also said he proposed the possibility of teams having two imports for the Commissioner’s Cup if the PBA successfully invites a guest team.

“There’s a proposal to maybe have two imports. It’s still a ‘maybe’ now because it will depend on whether a guest team would join, “Marcial said.

“Teams will have two imports if the team we’re talking to right now agrees to join. It’ll be a foreign team and we’re still talking.”

Beermen square PBA Finals with gutsy Bolts after Game 2 thriller

On: June 7, 2024 By: admin

Composure will be crucial for CJ Perez from this point of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals series that went back to square one following San Miguel Beer’s Game 2 escape act Friday night.

“I have to sustain my composure, especially in the endgame,” Perez told the Inquirer shortly after the Beermen avoided a dreaded 0-2 hole by rallying from four points down with 27 seconds to go for a 95-94 victory over the Meralco Bolts at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Perez’s three-pointer set up that unbelievable comeback as San Miguel took advantage of a split from Chris Banchero from the foul line, with Marcio Lassiter knocking down the go-ahead triple for the eventual scoreline.

San Miguel bounced back from dropping the series opener, 93-86, two nights prior where Perez endured foul trouble and disappointment towards some of the calls.

He was once again in early foul trouble, but wound up with a playoff-high 34 points this time, capped by a triple of his own with 22 seconds left that made the comeback possible.

“As a player, we can’t see everything with regards to the calls. So for us, we have to adjust and avoid complaining too much,” said Perez, who after Game 1 didn’t hide his disappointment towards calls that “shouldn’t be called in the Finals.”

Critical miss

The Finals Most Valuable Player when San Miguel captured the Commissioner’s Cup title last February was also glad to atone for an earlier missed three with Meralco holding on to a 90-89 lead.

That miss led to Banchero’s three-pointer that extended the Bolts’ advantage to 93-89, and it appeared that the Bolts were just one stop away from going two-up on the tournament favorites.

But Perez was glad to make good on his second chance.

“Our coaches really trust me to make shots,” Perez said. “If I miss those, it’s okay. If I make it, good for me.”

Lassiter scored with 13 seconds left following Banchero’s trip to the line, putting him closer to Allan Caidic and career leader Jimmy Alapag on the all-time list.

At this point, that triple could create a shift in the complexion of the championship tussle, with Game 3 set Sunday at the same venue.

Banchero had a chance to put Meralco ahead. He had a good look driving into the lane, but couldn’t convert on a layup that would have put the Bolts back in front and saved them from a gut-wrenching defeat.

Cliff Hodge produced 25 points for the Bolts, who once again drew worthy performances from almost everyone inserted on the floor.

June Mar Fajardo had 17 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks after another difficult battle against rookie Brandon Bates and the Meralco frontline.

Chris Newsome had 14 points for the Bolts, who led by eight points at one point.