SAN Miguel turned to June Mar Fajardo late to avoid the upset ax in an 109-108 overtime win over Terrafirma on Thursday in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Fajardo scored on a three-point play with 19.6 seconds left in overtime which proved to be the game-winner for the Beermen, who clinched the top seed in the quarterfinals on a 9-1 win-loss record.
Terrafirma had one last shot to steal the win but Javi Gomez De Liano missed a lay-up in the team’s last possession.
Fajardo finished with a near triple-double, pouring in 26 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high nine assists in a game which SMB head coach Leo Austria missed after being placed under the league's health protocols.
“We just did what we’ve been doing the past games na helping one another on defense,” said San Miguel assistant coach Jorge Gallent, who took over the chores in lieu of Austria.
Terrafirma remained winless in nine games but gave San Miguel a huge scare late in regulation, when JP Calvo drained back-to-back threes to tie the game at 98.
The Dyip even took the lead on a three by Gomez de Liano, 103-100, and again at 108-106 on two free throws by Allen Mina.
But Terrafirma couldn’t hold on as the Beermen went to Fajardo, who overpowered both Joseph Gabayni and Aldrech Ramos for marginal three-point play.
Eric Camson scored 20 points while Gomez de Liano and Calvo had 19 points apiece for the shorthanded Dyip, who had Juami Tiongson playing limited minutes and Joshua Munzon missing the match.
The scores:
San Miguel 109 – Fajardo 26, Lassiter 23, Perez 20, Pessumal 13, Tautuaa 10, Zamar 9, Canete 2, Enciso 0, Manuel 0.
Terrafirma 108 – Camson 20, Calvo 19, Gomez de Liano 19, Cahilig 17, Mina 13, Ramos 8, Gabayni 7, Tiongson 3, Tumalip 2, Balagasay 0.
Quarters: 23-19; 47-43; 74-68; 98-98; 109-108.
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