April 06, 2025

June Mar Fajardo leads San Miguel’s redemption quest vs NLEX in Philippine Cup opener

June Mar Fajardo leads San Miguel’s redemption quest vs NLEX in Philippine Cup opener
June Mar Fajardo, winner of eight MVP plums, enters the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup with a chip on his shoulder. | File photo (c) RM Chua/One Sports

June Mar Fajardo and the San Miguel Beermen begin their redemption bid in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup against the NLEX Road Warriors on Saturday, April 5.

The match starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Malate.

Coming off a rare playoff absence in the Commissioner’s Cup—their first in over a decade—the Beermen are eager to bounce back behind their cornerstone big man.

Fajardo, recently feted as one of the league’s 50 Greatest Players, headlines a stacked lineup that also features former Best Player of the Conference CJay Perez, veteran sniper Marcio Lassiter, and crafty guard Juami Tiongson.

[RELATED STORY: Leo Austria not surprised June Mar now among PBA's Greatest: 'One-of-a-kind player’]

San Miguel also added size and youth with the acquisition of JM Calma from NorthPort, further deepening their frontcourt rotation.

With a fresh start in the All-Filipino conference, the Beermen will look to remind the league why they’ve been a dynasty in this format—starting with a strong outing against an NLEX team eager to play spoiler.

(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)

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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]

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