DEFENDING champion San Miguel Beer offered the clinching win over Rain or Shine to fallen comrade June Mar Fajardo.
Former MVP Arwind Santos said the Beermen were one inside the dugout in dedicating the 90-82 Game Six win to their star player, who failed to finish the match at the Smart Araneta Coliseum after twisting his left knee in the second half.
Fajardo finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds before being wheeled out on an ambulance on the way to the St. Luke's Hospital to undergo an MRI test on his injured knee.
“Yung game namin inaalay namin sa kanya. Ngayon wala pa kaming alam kung ano 'yung buong scenario. Sana mild lang, yun ang pingadasal namin (sa dugout),” said Santos.
[See Prayers ror Fajardo as SMB, Gilas star slotman leaves Game 6 with knee injury]
He said without their premier big man, the Beermen face an uphill climb against old rival Alaska Aces as they try to retain the all-Filipino title they won over the same team last year.
“Siyempre si June Mar isa sa mga dragon namin 'yan na inaalagaan,” he said of the 25-year-old native of Pinamungahan, Cebu.
“Forty points, double-double lagi at siya `yung dominante. Talagang masasabi nating malaki siyang kawalan,” said the lanky forward.
But just like the way they did against the Elasto Painters when Fajardo exited, Santos believes the rest of the Beermen will step up to fill the void left by the back-to-back MVP.
“May tiwala ako sa ibang mga kasama ko. Kung ano man mangyari, we will always step up,” Santos said.