The series is all tied up at 1-1 between the San Miguel Beermen and the Meralco Bolts after the former secured a thrilling victory in Game 2. Is that the start of the Beermen’s dominance in this matchup? Or, will the Bolts recharge and hit back harder in Game 3?

Catch this game live on Friday,  June 7, 2024 at 6:15 pm, Manila time.

San Miguel Beermen (1-1)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Chris Ross
  • CJ Perez
  • Marcio Lassiter
  • Rodney Brondial
  • June Mar Fajardo

The Beermen refused to trail Meralco 2-0 in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup finals, as they eked out a 95-94 win in Game 2 Friday night. CJ Perez and Marcio Lassiter made sure of that, as they came up huge for San Miguel. Perez went off for 34 points on 12/28 shooting from the field, while Lassiter ended up with only six points but his 3-point with 13.2 seconds to go was the dagger that put San Miguel ahead for good. That Perez did not have to deal with foul trouble worked wonders for the Beermen this time around, unlike in Game 1 where he had his rhythm stunted with four first-half fouls. 

The Beermen also did a much better job in the possession battle. After going minus-16 in field goal attempts in Game 1, the Beermen went plus-7 in that area in Game 2.  San Miguel’s bench also answered the call, with Don Trollano, Mo Tautuaa, and Jericho Cruz combining for 29 points. The Beermen’s depth should continue to be a big factor for San Miguel, which also got yet another double-double from June Mar Fajardo, who had a 17-13 stat line in Game 2.

Meralco Bolts (1-1)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Christopher Banchero
  • Allein Maliksi
  • Chris Newsome
  • Clifford Hodge
  • Raymond Almazan

The Bolts failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity to score a 2-0 series lead in the finals. However, they continue to show that they have what it takes to make San Miguel sweat. Meralco has covered the spread in each game of the series thus far, thanks in part to the Bolts’ consistent play on both ends of the floor, notwithstanding their Game 2 loss. Also, Cliff Hodge came to play on Friday, as he dropped 25 points to go with nine rebounds while shooting 10/15 from the floor. 

Meanwhile, Chris Banchero hasn’t slowed down, having scored 16 points in Game 2. He had some blunders late in that contest, but he’ll have a chance to atone for them this Sunday. Defensively, Meralco has done a good job in the series so far, as the Beermen have yet to shoot better than 44% from the field. Fajardo is going to get his numbers regardless of what Meralco does, but keeping the other Beermen in check will be so crucial for Meralco, which has forced San Miguel to commit a total of 29 turnovers through two games in the finals.

Picks

Spread: Meralco Bolts (+4.5)

Over/Under: Over (187.0)