The San Miguel Beermen are seeking payback after ceding the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup crown to the Meralco Bolts.
Revenge is probably on the mind of the San Miguel Beermen as the league’s winningest franchise opens its PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup quarterfinal series against the Meralco Bolts on Friday, June 20.
The match starts at 5 p.m. at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. It will also be shown on the One Sports YouTube page.
[RELATED STORY: PBA quarterfinals: San Miguel seeks payback vs Meralco in Philippine Cup Finals rematch]
Behind Best Player of the Conference candidates June Mar Fajardo and CJay Perez, the no. 1-seeded Beermen will try to settle an old score against the no. 8 Bolts, the same team that denied them the All-Filipino crown last season.
This time, San Miguel holds the upper hand with a twice-to-beat advantage.
[ALSO READ: San Miguel star June Mar Fajardo back in front of BPC race for PBA Philippine Cup]
The Beermen already scored a win over Meralco this conference — a feel-good result on the day the PBA celebrated its 50th anniversary, where both squads suited up in retro jerseys.
But the real measure of revenge starts now, with a chance to take out the Bolts and move one step closer to reclaiming the championship that slipped away.
Meralco, for its part, is fresh from a run to the Basketball Champions League Asia quarterfinals in Dubai, but a long campaign and a tough travel schedule may catch up with the Bolts.
They fell to Mongolia’s Ulaanbaatar Xac Broncos to end their international bid.
For San Miguel, the formula remains clear — let Fajardo anchor the paint, let Perez dictate pace and pressure, and count on the depth and experience that’s defined their dynastic run.
A win Friday sends them to the semifinals against either Ginebra or Converge. A loss gives Meralco one last shot — and potentially, one last chance to play spoiler.
[ALSO READ: PBA: Unfamiliar territory for Tiongson as San Miguel claims top spot, sets up QF vs Meralco]
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]