10/06/2025
San Miguel Beermen (7-2)
In the Philippine Cup, the road to a championship still runs through June Mar Fajardo and San Miguel. Regardless of their inconsistencies in import-laden conferences, San Miguel has once again asserted themselves among the league's elite in the all-Filipino setting, positioning themselves close to a top four team come the quarterfinals.
Fajardo remains a matchup nightmare, requiring multiple defenders and constant help coverage, which continues to open up scoring opportunities for San Miguel's deep supporting cast.
Against a Rain or Shine team thin in the frontcourt, Fajardo's gravity allowed CJ Perez to attack freely en route to a 33-point performance, while Don Trollano, Marcio Lassiter, and Juami Tiongson capitalized from distance, combining for eight threes on a 50% clip. This blend of interior dominance and perimeter marksmanship creates an inside-out dynamic that few teams are equipped to handle.
San Miguel still has two more games to tighten their grip on a twice-to-beat advantage, facing a hungry Converge squad and a NorthPort team playing out the string.
(ESPN PHILIPPINES) POWER RANKINGS
