Fresh from winning BPC, June Mar Fajardo puts up season-high as SMB ties PBA PH Cup Finals vs Meralco anew

June Mar Fajardo followed up on winning the BPC with a season-high for San Miguel. PBA Images

By Ivan Saldajeno

QUEZON CITY--On the night he was crowned the PBA-Nustar Resort Cebu Best Player of the Conference, June Mar Fajardo showed why he deserved to win the individual award.

Fajardo posted a season-high 28 points to lead San Miguel to a 111-101 win against Meralco in Game 4 of their championship series on Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Two and a half hours after he was announced as the BPC, the 6-foot-10 behemoth put up a dominating performance, going 9-for-14 from the field as he seemingly solved the interior defense the Bolts are putting on him.

He also showed better efficiency from the free throw line as he went 10-for-12 on charities even as his fellow Beermen, who finally dropped 100 on the Bolts this series, still had to hold them off in the end despite an explosion of his own from Chris Newsome.

Fajardo added 13 rebounds, one assist, and one block as SMB reduced the best-of-seven affair to a best-of-three by tying the series against Meralco at 2-2.

CJ Perez added 22 points, eight rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block.

Newsome put up a career-high 40 points on 12-of-18 field goals and 14-of-15 free throws with six rebounds and four assists for the Bolts.

Chris Banchero added 21 points, four rebounds, and one assist, while Cliff Hodge chipped in 17 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, and one block.

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