JUNE Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez are expected to crowd each other out for the PBAPhilippine Cup Best Player of the Conference.
The San Miguel teammates further solidified their hold of the top spots in the race for the conference's highest individual award after the Beermen cruised their way to the best-of-seven semifinals.
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It helped their cause further following the early exit of Barangay Ginebra in the playoffs as reigning MVP Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, and Christian Standhardinger are all hot in their heels.
Fajardo remained No. 1 in the standings with 42.7 total statistical points, while Perez is not far behind at second with 39.7 SPs according to the latest stats released by the league after the quarterfinals.
June Mar Fajardo has 42.7 statistical points.
The 32-year-old Fajardo averages 17.9 points, a league-best 13.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game, leading the top seeded Beermen past No. 8 Blackwater to advance to the best-of-seven semis.
Meanwhile, Perez also posted impressive numbers of 17.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.4 steals to keep pace with his 6-foot-11 teammate.
Thompson is running third behind the two San Miguel stalwarts with 37.8 sps built around numbers of 16.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.5 steals, followed by Aguilar with 33.1 sps behind averages of 17.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, and a league-high 2.6 block shots, and Standhardinger with 14.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists for a total of 32.8 sps.
But the Kings’ failure to go deeper into the playoffs will have a huge impact in their bid for the BPC plum.
NorthPort meanwhile, fell short of making the playoffs, but the duo of Robert Bolick and Jamie Malonzo also remained in the running for the same award.
Bolick accumulated 32. 63 sps (18.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists) for sixth, followed closely by Malonzo with 32.60 sps (17.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks).
Chris Newsome is making his presence felt late at this stage as the Meralco guard jumped three notches in the standings to make it at no. 8 with 32.5 (16.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists).
It’s the opposite in the case of Magnolia’s Jio Jalalon as the pesky guard fell from fifth to a tie for eighth and ninth with Newsome behind a similar 32.5 sps (12.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 2.2 steals).
Calvin Oftana of NLEX rounded up the Top 10 with 32. 4 sps (17.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.6 steals).
In race for the Rookie of the Year, Ato Ular of Blackwater still leads the pack with 21.1 sps (14.2 points and 8.4 rebounds), while a far second is Justine Arana of Converge with 21.5 sps.
NorthPort’s John Michael Calma (19.1 sps), Tyler Tio of Phoenix (18.2 sps), and Converge’s Jeo Ambohot (17.9 sps) round up the Top 5 list.
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