San Miguel Beermen Advance to PBA Philippine Cup Semifinals with Victory Over NLEX

Defending champions San Miguel Beermen have progressed to the semifinals of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Philippine Cup after a 101-94 victory over the NLEX Road Warriors on Thursday, December 25, 2025, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Entering the quarterfinals as the top seed with a 10-2 elimination round record, the Beermen capitalized on their twice-to-beat advantage granted to the top four teams. Despite trailing 53-47 at halftime, San Miguel rallied in the second half, fueled by the dominant performance of June Mar Fajardo.

Fajardo, a nine-time league MVP from Pinamungajan, Cebu and a product of the University of Cebu Webmasters, led the team with 26 points and 16 rebounds, showcasing his signature prowess on both ends of the court. Support came from Jerico Cruz, who contributed 18 points, and Don Trollano, who added 17 points, including a significant 15-point streak in the third quarter.

In a separate quarterfinal matchup, the No. 5 seeded Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings defeated the No. 4 seeded Converge FiberXers 105-85. This win forced a knockout game scheduled for the following day to determine who will face San Miguel in the semifinals.

Individual Scores:

San Miguel Beermen (101): Fajardo 26, Cruz 18, Trollano 17, Perez 14, Brondial 8, Tautuaa 6, Lassiter 5, Tiongson 4, Cahilog 3.

NLEX Road Warriors (94): Bolick 31, Bahio 10, Fajardo 10, Ramirez 9, Alas 9, Onwubere 9, Gonzales 6, Mocon 5, Torres 4, Capulong 1.

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings (105): Abarrientos 35, J. Aguilar 16, Thompson 13, Holt 11, Rosario 10, Cu 8, David 6, Gray 2, Torres 2, Adamos 2.

Converge FiberXers (85): Baltazar 19, Winston 14, Stockton 12, Garcia 10, Gomez de Liano 9, Manuel 7, Arana 6, Concepcion 5, Muyang 3.