San Miguel level PBA Philippine Cup Finals with 111-101 victory over Meralco

The San Miguel Beermen flexed their championship muscle on Independence Day, pulling off a resounding 111-101 victory over the Meralco Bolts in Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

This win evens the best-of-seven series at 2-2, setting the stage for a thrilling three-game battle for the championship.

While June Mar Fajardo continued his dominant run with a season-high 28 points and 13 rebounds, it was the unexpected contributions from the Beermen’s bench that proved pivotal.

Vic Manuel, seeing his first action in the series, provided a much-needed spark with 8 points, while Terrence Romeo, returning from a calf injury, chipped in with 7 points. Their energy and complementary scoring helped San Miguel maintain control throughout the game.

Despite a career-high 40-point performance from Chris Newsome, the Meralco Bolts fell short in their comeback attempt. Their struggles to contain San Miguel’s offense ultimately led to their downfall.

The night was doubly special for June Mar Fajardo as he received his record-extending 10th PBA Best Player of the Conference award before the game. He then fueled his team’s victory with a dominant performance in the paint, atoning for his limited offensive output in Game 3.

CJ Perez had a well-rounded game with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Marcio Lassiter contributed 18 points and 4 three-pointers. This balanced scoring attack from multiple players proved too much for the Meralco defense to handle.

With this victory, San Miguel avoided falling into a 3-1 series deficit.

Game 5 is scheduled for Friday at the Araneta Coliseum, promising a high-stakes matchup with championship aspirations on the line.