June Mar Fajardo carried San Miguel on his shoulders for a quarterfinal series-clinching Game 5 win over Converge in the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup.
With 27.7 ticks left to play, June Mar Fajardo deflected the pass from Alex Cabagnot to Justin Arana in a pick-and-roll play then dragged his 6-foot-10 frame to the parquet floor in hopes of securing the loose ball.
That sequence pretty much showed how badly Fajardo wanted to win on Sunday night, Oct. 6.
After 10 championships, eight Most Valuable Player awards and nine Mythical First team selections, to name a few, the desire to win was still evident in Fajardo.
[WATCH: San Miguel outlasts Converge in do-or-die Game 5, moves into semifinals | PBA Highlights]
The pride of Pinamungajan, Cebu eventually carried San Miguel to a hard-fought 109-105 win over Converge in their sudden death Game 5 battle in the quarterfinals that secured its spot in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup penultimate round.
After dropping the last two games against the FiberXers, the Beermen went to their deadliest weapon in Fajardo, who delivered a 40-point, 24-rebound performance at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
San Miguel coach Jorge Gallent could not do anything but marvel at the superstar he has at his disposal.
“We just gave him more touches because he’s really a great post player. We just took advantage of that situation. We know that when he gets doubled, he’s a good passer,” said Gallent his prized ward, who also had four assists and a steal.
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Backing up Fajardo was import EJ Anosike, who also made his presence felt in the paint.
Anosike teamed up with Fajardo in the final 6:38 of the match, pouring six points to the many-time MVP's seven in the Beermen's 18-6 finisher that erased a 91-99 deficit and gave them the win.
Anosike finished with 23 points.
Up 108-105 on Anosike's freebies with 1:38 to go, San Miguel turned it up a notch on defense from there.
Fajardo stopped the pick-and-roll play between Cabagnot and Arana, before Jericho Cruz stripped the ball from the hands of Jalen Jones when the Converge import was about to take a four-point shot in hopes of sending the game into overtime.
At the onset, the game did not look like it was going to be a nip-and-tuck battle in the final stretch after the FiberXers took a 34-22 lead after the opening period.
A reverse sweep appeared imminent. Or so Converge thought.
Behind Fajardo, the Beermen slowly turned the match around as he dropped 29 points in the middle periods.
With just 3:02 to go in the third quarter, the Cebuano gentle giant scored on a layup on the break against Stockton to restore the lead back to San Miguel, 81-80, since scoring the first basket in the match.
It was a seesaw battle since then.
Jones paced gritty Converge with 29 points and 17 rebounds in a losing cause.
Stockton, who nailed the game-winner in Game 3 to extend what was initially thought to be a swift series for the Beermen, could only do so much for the FiberXers.
Stockton finished with 22 points, capped by a three-pointer that allowed Converge to threaten at 105-106. Bryan Santos scored all but one of his 16 points on treys.
Alex Cabagnot, who got boos from the fans of the franchise he helped win multiple titles, tallied 14 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
His personal 8-0 run to break a 42-all deadlock in the second period gave spectators glimpses of the clutch PBA star. Unfortunately, there was no clutch Cabagnot at endgame, as he fouled Fajardo, sending the latter to the line for a split, and committed a crucial turnover in the final stretch.
The Scores:
SAN MIGUEL 109 – Fajardo 40, Anosike 23, Perez 10, Rosales 9, Trollano 7, Lassiter 6, Cruz 6, Tautuaa 5, Romeo 3, Enciso 0.
CONVERGE 105 – Jones 29, Stockton 22, Santos 16, Cabagnot 14, Winston 8, Arana 8, Delos Santos 4, Nieto 2, Caralipio 2, Ambohot 0.
Quarterscores: 22-34, 54-57, 89-87, 109-105