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    Fajardo plays down match-up with Big Liu: ‘Basketball five-on-five yan’

    Malaki talaga, Fajardo says of Chinese center
    Dec 14, 2022
    June Mar Fajardo vs Liu Chuanxing
    PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

    JUNE Mar Fajardo played down the battle of the giants against Liu Chuanxing in the opener of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals series between defending champion San Miguel and Bay Area Dragons.

    For long stretches, the 6-foot-10 Fajardo and the 7-foot-5 Liu battled each other underneath, although it was import Andrew Nicholson who would mostly take on the task of guarding the six-time MVP.

    Nonetheless, it was Fajardo’s match up with Liu that poked the interest of the Wednesday crowd at the Philsports Arena as it pitted the two big men for the first time this conference.

    [READ: Gallent stands by decision to take out Fajardo late in Game One]

    Fajardo was injured when the two teams tangled in the eliminations.

    But the San Miguel star is not putting a lot of weight on his encounter with Liu, who is a member of the Chinese men’s national team.

    “OK naman. Malaki talaga (siya), pero yung basketball hindi naman one-on-one yan, five-on-five yan, e,” said Fajardo.

    Liu Chuanxing June Mar Fajardo

    Fajardo outplayed ‘Big Liu’, but the Dragons outsteadied the reigning champions in the endgame, 103-102, as Kobey Lam scored on a fastbreak basket in the final seven seconds to cap a huge comeback by the guest team from 16 points down.

    The 33-year-old Cebuano big man finished with 11 points, eigh rebounds, and four assists, but not enough to avert a huge endgame collapse by the Beermen.

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    Liu meanwhile, had five points and five rebounds.

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      Fajardo himself was lost for words on what hit San Miguel that saw them controlled the game majority of the way.

      He said the team will have a thorough game viewing of Game 1 to see where the Beermen went wrong.

      “Sabi nga ni coach panoorin namin (yung game), para makita kung ano yung mga naging lapses namin,” added Fajardo.

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      PHOTO: Jerome Ascano
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