San Miguel escapes Meralco as PBA goes retro in 50th anniversary game

San Miguel escaped Meralco, 110-98, in a nostalgia-filled match as the PBA celebrated its 50th anniversary on Wednesday at the historic Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Wearing the retro jerseys and in front of some former players as well, the Beermen notched their second straight win in the conference, while the Bolts slipped to 2-1.

The Beermen led by as much as 17, 50-33, with 2:06 remaining in the second quarter before the first half ended 52-38 in their favor.

However, the Bolts had a strong third quarter as they inched closer and cut their deficit within three, 77-74, by the end of the said frame. Chris Newsome and Kurt Reyson combined for 19 out of Meralco's 36 points in the said frame, with the former having 11 and the latter making nine.

San Miguel regained its control of the game early in the fourth period with a 10-2 run after leading 82-79. CJ Perez had five points in the said run with his layup igniting the scoring spree, while a triple put them at 89-81 as Juami Tiongson's own trey gave them the 11-point advantage.

The Bolts were still gunning for a late comeback with back-to-back baskets from Reymar Jose and Aaron Black putting Meralco two possessions behind, 101-95, with 2:59 left. However, the Beermen scored six straight to claim a 105-97 lead with less than a minute left before clinching the victory.

"From first half to second half until the last quarter, they were able to cut the lead so that was a really scary moment for us, but because of the experience of the players, especially June Mar Fajardo and some of them, they know how to deal with that kind of situation," San Miguel head coach Leo Austria said.

"I'm so happy for them because from start to finish, they did not lose their composure and we're able to dictate the tempo of the game."

Fajardo, one of the newest additions to the PBA's Greatest Players list, logged 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and a block, while CJ Perez had 29 points. Jeron Teng added 11 points for the Beermen.

Newsome led the Bolts with 27 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals, while Reyson had 14 points. Black and Jose had 12 points apiece while Cliff Hodge added 10 points.

Scores:

San Miguel 110 – Perez 29, Fajardo 28, Teng 11, Brondial 9, Lassiter 8, Tiongson 7, Rosales 7, Tautuaa 6, Trollano 5, Cahilig 0.

Meralco 98 – Newsome 27, Reyson 14, Black 12, Jose 12, Hodge 10, Cansino 8, Bates 6, Almazan 5, Quinto 4, Torres 0, Rios 0, Caram 0, Pascual 0.

Quarters: 25-21, 52-38, 77-74, 110-98.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News