MANILA: Showing the value of its strength in numbers, San Miguel Beer’s support cast to June Mar Fajardo turned the box-office hit that was Act 1 of its matchup with Barangay Ginebra in the 41st PBA Season as a virtual walk in the park.

With four players turning in a solid back-up job to Fajardo, the Beermen on Sunday night broke away in the second half for a 100-82 victory over the Gin Kings and the solo lead in the Philippine Cup eliminations at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.

Arwind Santos, a former MVP, scored 24 points, Fajaro drilled in 22 that went with 14 boards and Ronald Tubid, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross tallied another 38 as the Beermen won a second straight game to rise to 4-1 overall.

The win allowed San Miguel to break out of a five-team tie for the lead, leaving idle GlobalPort, Rain or Shine, Talk ‘N Text and Alaska tied for second.

San Miguel also slapped a third loss in four games on the Gin Kings, who came into the game hoping to sustain the gains made in a 93-92 nipping of the Aces in Dubai two Saturdays ago.

The lopsided manner in which the Beermen prevailed showed what great team chemistry can do, and it also took all of the luster away in the anticipated first clash between the reigning two-time MVP Fajardo and the pretender to his throne, Slaughter.

Slaughter, the 7-footer who has had a storied rivalry with Fajardo ever since their college days in Cebu, came into the contest averaging more than 27 points and 19.8 rebounds in Ginebra’s first three games.

Those numbers are the all-time biggest by any local in a three-game stretch to open up a season and it is because of those averages that experts have labeled the game as Slaughter vs Fajardo more than San Miguel against Ginebra.

“I wasn’t expecting this (lopsided result),” coach Leo Austria of San Miguel Beer said in Filipino. “I know that they (Kings) prepared long and hard for us. But the players, especially June Mar, were up to it. Maybe because of the hype (of the match-up).”

Another thing that contributed to the Kings’ woeful showing was their pathetic shooting from the outside.

Ginebra went 0-for-14 from beyond three-point range, a franchise-worst mark. The Kings have now gone without a conversion from that distance since the second quarter of that win over Alaska in Dubai.

The Kings have just made 14 from beyond the arc in their first four games, the exact number that the Beermen dropped on them last night.

Santos scored 20 of his total in the first half when it was still close, before the rest took turns in hitting the Gin Kings where it hurt as San Miguel peeled away from a 47-43 game at the half to lead by as large as 23 late in the fourth.

Fajardo, meanwhile, was steady.

The former University of Cebu star responded when called upon and never forced the issue as the Beermen played beautiful music the entire night to frustrate the Kings and the throng that watched the game live at the PBA’s old but dilapidated home.

Slaughter finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, Japeth Aguilar also had 21 and nine boards but the usual heavy scorers were shut down by the San Miguel defense – which turned out to be key in the end.

LA Tenorio finished with just four points, Joe Devance had just two and former MVP Mark Caguioa accounted for just eight as Ginebra groped for form the entire second half to go down in flames.

“I told him (Fajardo) before the game that this is not your fight,” Austria continued. “I told him that it’s the fight of your team and that your strength is the strength of your teammates. I assured him that his teammates will be there to help.”

In the appetizer, Barako Bull gutted out a 108-106 victory over Meralco, surviving the 40 points of Gary David and the Bolts’ spirited endgame charge to improve to a level 2-2 card.

Josh Urbiztondo tossed in 24 points built around a 4-for-8 clip from three-point range, and RR Garcia added 18 for the Energy, who kept the Bolts winless in four games and in the bottom of the standings.