JUNE Mar Fajardo said capturing another PBA Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award was the furthest from his mind in the lead-up to Wednesday’s Game Four of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
Fajardo said claiming a 10th BPC award on Wednesday had nothing to do with a performance that saw him score a season-high 28 points in the San Miguel Beermen's bounce-back 111-101 win over the Meralco Bolts.
Instead, the 6-10 Cebuano center said all he wanted to do was to revive the Beermen's title bid while facing a 2-1 series deficit entering Game Four.
“Hindi ako ginanahan dahil nanalo ako ng BPC,” said Fajardo. “Kailangan ko talagang i-ano ‘yung sarili ko sa ilalim kasi kapag natalo kami 3-1, mahirap na maka-bounce back sa 3-1.”
The last time SMB trailed 2-1 in a championship series on the day Fajardo claimed the BPC was during the 2019 Philippine Cup against Magnolia. The Beermen eventually won the title in seven games.
The seven-time MVP was quick to deflect the credit for the Game Four win, pointing out that teammates CJ Perez, Marcio Lassiter, and even Vic Manuel and Terrence Romeo, who played their first game in the series, also chipped in.
“Gusto naming manalo. Gusto naming ma-tie ang series,” said Fajardo. “Credit sa coaching staff, teammates ko. Nag-step up kami lahat. Kahit sinong ipinasok ni coach, nag-step up lahat kaya nakuha namin ‘yung panalo.”
Game Four’s effort made up for Sunday’s performance where he was bothered by a Meralco defense that limited him to five field goal attempts.
Fajardo gave credit where credit is due.
“Maganda ‘yung depensa nila. Credit talaga sa kanila, hindi lang sa akin kundi sa buong team. Kita niyo naman na limited ‘yung mga shots namin. Minsan, ‘yung attempts namin, 70-plus lang. Tapos ngayon, sabi ni coach, maganda ‘yung pasahan namin, nagro-rotate ‘yung bola,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo said San Miguel's success is not only because of one man.
“Kahit sino sa team namin, puwede maging Best Player of the Conference kasi sobrang lalim ng team namin,” he said. “’Yung BPC, bonus na lang ‘yun. Masaya ako na nakuha ko ‘yung BPC pero ike-credit ko ‘yun sa teammates ko. Kasi hindi ko makukuha ‘yun kung hindi dahil sa teammates ko."
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
