The Meralco Bolts can complete the upset in the finals of the 2024 Philippine Cup this Sunday when they look to go for the kill against the desperate San Miguel Beermen. Will the Bolts capture the title the franchise has been chasing for so long? Or, will the Beermen force a Game 7?

Catch this game live on Sunday,  June 16, 2024 at 6:15 pm, Manila time.

San Miguel Beermen (2-3)

Projected Starting Five:

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

The Beermen are on the verge of getting completely upset in the finals. Despite the immense effort of seven-time league MVP June Mar Fajardo in Game 5, San Miguel still faltered and picked up a 92-88 loss. Fajardo was on a level of his own – as usual – in that contest, as he finished with 38 points and 18 rebounds while making 14 of his 17 attempts from the field. 

No player on either side in this series – or the entire country– is more automatic than Fajardo, so the Beermen just have to keep feeding The Kraken.  Interestingly enough, the Beermen got outscored in the paint in Game 4 (48-42) despite Fajardo’s presence. As incredible as Fajardo was in Game 4, CJ Perez brought down the Beermen’s overall efficiency with a salty 4/11 shooting from the field and 1/11 from deep. Late-game shot distribution can be improved for the Beermen, especially since they have someone who’s as unstoppable as Fajardo. 

Meralco Bolts (3-2)

Projected Starting Five:

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

Meralco is a win away from franchise glory. Behind the brilliance of Chris Newsome and Allein Maliksi, the Bolts took care of business in Game 4, as the duo produced 44 points. Maliksi played like he’s got something to prove, as he went off the bench and fired 22 points on 8/13 shooting. Maliksi’s production off the bench is crucial for the Bolts, who will look for him to provide the spark anew this Sunday, as they look to finish things off. Apart from the Bolts’ big guns playing well on Friday, Meralco’s defense also played a huge role in the win. 

There’s no effective way to completely contain Fajardo but the Bolts did a great job rattling the likes of Perez, Marcio Lassiter, and Jericho Cruz, who combined for a brutal 9/34 shooting from the floor in Game 4. Even with Fajardo missing just three field goal attempts, the Bolts still managed to hold San Miguel to just 40 FG%.

Picks

Spread: Meralco Bolts (+4.5)

Over/Under: Over (186.5)