The defending champions are moving on. The San Miguel Beermen successfully used their twice-to-beat advantage to eliminate the NLEX Road Warriors, 101-94, in their quarterfinal matchup on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025. The victory at the Smart Araneta Coliseum books the first ticket to the semifinals of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup.
Fajardo's Christmas Takeover
San Miguel's Cebuano giant, June Mar Fajardo, reminded everyone why he is a nine-time PBA Most Valuable Player. He spearheaded the Beermen's charge with a monstrous double-double of 26 points and 16 rebounds. His dominance was particularly crucial in the second half after the Beermen found themselves trailing at halftime, 53-47. The University of Cebu product and native of Pinamungajan, Cebu, took over to swing the momentum firmly in San Miguel's favor.
Key Support from Cruz and Trollano
Fajardo did not carry the load alone. He received vital support from teammates Jerico Cruz and Don Trollano. Cruz contributed 18 points, while Trollano added 17. Trollano's scoring burst was especially timely, as he rattled off 15 consecutive points in the third quarter to help break the game open for the top-seeded Beermen.
San Miguel, which finished the elimination round as the number one team with a 10-2 record, efficiently capitalized on the privilege earned by the Top 4 finishers. For NLEX, Robert Bolick led the scoring with 31 points in a valiant effort.
Ginebra Forces a Knockout, Awaits Semifinal Opponent
In the other quarterfinal pairing, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings staged an impressive performance to keep their title hopes alive. The fifth-seeded Gin Kings demolished the fourth-seeded and twice-to-beat Converge FiberXers, 105-85. This dominant win forces a knockout game scheduled for the following day, December 26. The winner of that sudden-death match will earn the right to face the San Miguel Beermen in the best-of-seven semifinal series.
Ginebra was powered by a huge 35-point outing from Javi Abarrientos, supported by 16 points from Japeth Aguilar and 13 from Scottie Thompson.
Final Scores:
San Miguel 101 – Fajardo 26, Cruz 18, Trollano 17, Perez 14, Brondial 8, Tautuaa 6, Lassiter 5, Tiongson 4, Cahilog 3.
NLEX 94 – Bolick 31, Bahio 10, Fajardo 10, Ramirez 9, Alas 9, Onwubere 9, Gonzales 6, Mocon 5, Torres 4, Capulong 1.
Ginebra 105 – Abarrientos 35, J. Aguilar 16, Thompson 13, Holt 11, Rosario 10, Cu 8, David 6, Gray 2, Torres 2, Adamos 2.
Converge 85 – Baltazar 19, Winston 14, Stockton 12, Garcia 10, Gomez de Liano 9, Manuel 7, Arana 6, Concepcion 5, Muyang 3.
