San Miguel overpowers Rain or Shine for first PBA PHL Cup win

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The San Miguel Beermen finally ended their woes and notched their first win in the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup, demolishing the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters 111–93 on Oct. 19, 2025, at the Ynares Center II in Rizal.

After dropping their first two games against the NLEX Road Warriors and the Phoenix Fuel Masters, San Miguel rediscovered its lost touch and played four consistent quarters to pull off the much-needed win.

Before the tipoff, San Miguel head coach Leo Austria reiterated the team’s dire need to play a solid two-way outing for 48 straight minutes, which his boys did to end their skid.

The moment June Mar Fajardo tapped the ball for their first possession, a different aura bloomed at the Ynares Center when the Beermen flaunted better defensive communication to limit Rain or Shine’s signature back cuts and quick flash actions at the top of the key.

San Miguel’s offense just followed, as CJ Perez and Marcio Lassiter made up for Fajardo’s slow start, making it rain from downtown — which resulted in early emergency timeouts from Rain or Shine chief tactician Yeng Guiao.

Due to Rain or Shine’s focus on lowering Fajardo’s offensive numbers, the PBA’s only nine-time MVP didn’t hesitate to swing the rock, which boosted the confidence of Perez and Lassiter.

The duo’s terrific shooting propelled the Beermen to a 12-point lead at the half, but the Elasto Painters answered back with a massive 31-point outburst in the third canto that trimmed their deficit to just a single digit.

Unfortunately, Fajardo got it going in the fourth, leaving Rain or Shine with a poison to choose — whether they’d stay on top of the Beermen’s shooters or double the Cebuano behemoth underneath.

All hell broke loose when San Miguel sucked the life out of Rain or Shine midway through the fourth, blitzing their way to a 13–2 run that protected its double-digit advantage until the final buzzer sounded.

No matter how many bodies Rain or Shine threw at Fajardo, the bruising center just muscled his way in the shaded lane, backstopped by timely buckets from Juami Tiongson and Lassiter.

Perez led San Miguel’s breakthrough dub with a game-high 23-point performance, alongside six rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while Lassiter added 18 markers built from three drained three-pointers.

Despite the inefficient scoring start, Fajardo’s second-half resurgence was key to their fourth-quarter rally, as he chipped in a double-double outing of 17 points and 14 rebounds.

San Miguel will aim for its first winning streak of the All-Filipino Conference on Oct. 26 as it battles the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings in the main event of the scheduled triple-header.

On the other hand, the Elasto Painters look to bounce back on Oct. 24 against the struggling Blackwater Bossing franchise.