PBA: San Miguel escapes NLEX, advances to Philippine Cup semis

Top-seeded and twice-to-beat San Miguel Beer survived a late scare from NLEX, pulling off a 101–94 victory in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals on Thursday, Christmas Day, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to advance to the semifinals.

NLEX held a 53-47 halftime lead before the Beermen erupted with a 21-2 run to open the second half. San Miguel went on to outscore NLEX, 32-19, in the third quarter to take a 79-72 advantage heading into the final period.

The Beermen stretched their lead to 97–87 with 4:32 remaining, but NLEX responded with a 7–0 run to trim the deficit to four points with 40 seconds left.

Free throws by June Mar Fajardo and Don Trollano eventually sealed the win for San Miguel.

For San Miguel head coach Leo Austria, the Beermen relied on its championship experience to overcome the Road Warriors, especially as they notched their 10th straight win in the conference.

“I think because of our experience in the game, especially this one, after winning nine consecutive games, there’s a little bit of pressure in the quarterfinals,” Austria said.

“Sabi ko nga, because of the experience, they know how to win.”

Fajardo powered the Beermen with 26 points, 23 rebounds, and six assists, while Jericho Cruz and Trollano added 18 and 17 points, respectively. CJ Perez chipped in 14 points.

The victory spoiled a stellar performance by NLEX star Robert Bolick, who finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and a block.

Scores:

San Miguel 101 – Fajardo 26, Cruz 18, Trollano 17, Perez 14, Brondial 8, Tautuaa 6, Lassiter 5, Tiongson 4, Cahilog 3, Teng 0, Rosales 0, Ross 0.

NLEX 94 – Bolick 31, Bahio 10, Fajardo 10, Ramirez 9, Alas 9, Onwubere 9, Gonzales 6, Mocon 5, Torres 4, Capulong 1, Policarpio 0, Rodger 0, Nieto 0.

Quarters: 28-29, 47-53, 79-72, 101-94.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News