Bread and butter

CJ Perez got San Miguel Beer off to a flying start against Meralco in Game 3 of their PBA Philippine Cup semifinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Sunday but down the stretch with the outcome on the line, it was June Mar Fajardo who provided the finishing touches of the 96-91 win. Fajardo put San Miguel on his broad shoulders and carried the team home with 10 of his 21 points coming in the fourth period. The Kraken went 5-of-7 from the field and 11-of-16 from the line in 35:37 minutes. He picked up three fouls in the second quarter and nursed four at the start of the third but wasn’t whistled for another foul the entire second half.

Perez erupted for 13 points in the first period and wound up with 26. Coach Leo Austria set up Fajardo from different points of attack to dislodge Meralco’s defense. He posted up, drew a double team, passed, reposted to get closer to the rim and got the ball back with less resistance. He cut across the lane after setting a high pick and took the ball from a pass. He spun inside from a mid-range angle and established scoring position with Mo Tautuaa on the other block. On defense, Fajardo was hardly challenged as Meralco’s bigs were either reluctant to take a shot or just couldn’t connect because they were intimated. That’s the reason why Fajardo wasn’t called for a single foul in the second half.

Meralco gave up too many free throws in the fourth quarter when the Bolts were within striking distance. San Miguel took 16 of its 30 foul shots in the final 12 minutes with Fajardo accounting for 10. The six-time MVP scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth from the stripe. How to deny Fajardo possessions will be Meralco’s challenge in Game 4 tonight.

It’s the same predicament facing Magnolia in the other semifinal series against TNT which like San Miguel, holds a 2-1 advantage. If Fajardo is Meralco’s biggest headache, Mikey Williams is Magnolia’s. In Game 1, Williams exploded for 26 points as TNT won, 108-96. In Game 2, Williams was held to three points at the half and Magnolia weathered his resurgence to prevail, 92-88. The Tropa never led even as Williams fired 25 of his 28 points in the second half. In Game 3, Williams was limited to 15 points but got away with 10 assists and TNT won by a whisker, 93-92 on Jayson Castro’s buzzer-beating triple. How the Hotshots rebound from a deflating loss could determine the winner of the series. If they bounce back with a vengeance, it’ll be tough for TNT. If they sulk and feel sorry for themselves, it’ll be a cakewalk for the Tropa. The betting is Magnolia will fight tooth and nail to even the count.

Today’s doubleheader is crucial. If San Miguel and TNT win, they’ll open a 3-1 series lead and enjoy a thrice-to-beat advantage entering Game 5. If Meralco and Magnolia win, it’ll be back to square one, reducing the series to a best-of-three. The pressure is on the Bolts and Hotshots to survive Game 4. If they falter, it’ll be extremely difficult to dig out of a 1-3 hole and win three straight to crawl their way into the Finals.