Get a clip of a San Miguel Beermen offensive set and it’s more often than not that June Mar Fajardo gets the ball at least once. 

The Beermen are not your typical modern basketball team in that one of their focal points on offense is a traditional big man whose points come from the post, off putbacks, and from the pick-and-roll. Words won’t be enough to describe how he affects the game, because Fajardo’s impact is so profound that at times, all he needs to do is enter the court, draw the defense, and open things up for his teammates. And such was the case in Game 4 of the 2025 Honda PBA Philippine Cup Finals. 

The eight-time PBA MVP was working largely from behind the scenes, but his efforts were evident even when it was his teammates who stepped up offensively. This is because Fajardo is always ready, whether it’s to bring defenders with him, score off a miss, or set a screen to get a teammate free. The constant movement even when he wasn’t getting the ball due to the defensive pressure the TNT Tropang 5G were putting on him was also critical in ensuring it was a balanced attack that gave SMB a 3-1 series lead. 

Fajardo still produced a quiet 15 points, 12 rebounds (six on the offensive end), three steals, and two blocks. Despite the defense he was facing, he nonetheless persevered and found some points and rebounds when he found space to operate. The 10-time PBA champion’s ability to balance letting the game come to him and allowing his teammates to take over while still using his gravity to influence the game makes his record-extending 12th Best Player of the Conference award a much-deserved one. 

Now, San Miguel is a win away from not only ending the Tropang 5G’s grand slam aspirations, but also adding to their league-best championship haul. They’ve been making the most out of their size advantage especially in the frontcourt and with the offensive balance they have found, the title is theirs to lose, especially since TNT continue to see their players suffer injuries. 

The San Miguel Beermen would love to end the series on Wednesday and so between now and then, they will do what they can to ensure June Mar Fajardo and his teammates will be at peak form for a potential title-clincher in Game 5. Nevermind that Fajardo was not eating up all the offensive and rebounding opportunities in this 2025 Honda PBA Philippine Cup Finals series against the TNT Tropang 5G; his mere presence alone has tipped the scales in favor of SMB.