June Mar Fajardo Admits Lack of Urgency Cost San Miguel in Game 5 Loss

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by Lou Reyes

SMB big man June Mar Fajardo (15). Photo: PBA Images.

San Miguel Beer’s veteran anchor June Mar Fajardo didn’t sugarcoat his assessment of their missed opportunity in Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

Following an 86-78 loss to TNT on Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Fajardo acknowledged that the Beermen lacked urgency and failed to match the Tropang 5G’s intensity — a costly mistake as their series lead shrank to 3-2.

“We had a flat start and committed a lot of lapses,” Fajardo said in Filipino during an interview. “Maybe we got too comfortable with the 3-1 lead. We came out really flat.”

The eight-time league MVP still delivered a solid stat line with 13 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks — all without a single turnover. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the Beermen’s early struggles. After briefly leading in the first quarter, San Miguel spent most of the game trailing, even falling behind by as many as 18 points.

Fajardo emphasized that the team must raise its level of play, especially against a seasoned and determined squad like TNT.

Photo: PBA Images.

“You can’t take a team like TNT lightly. They’re back-to-back champs for a reason. We need to give it everything we’ve got,” he added.

Despite the setback, San Miguel still holds the advantage in the best-of-seven series and has two more chances to close it out and deny TNT a historic grand slam.

“That game’s over,” said Fajardo. “Our focus now is on the next one.”