GIANTS MAY FINALLY SQUARE OFF IN SMB-GINEBRA TUSSLE
San Miguel Beer consultant Todd Purves says June Mar Fajardo’s status is day-to-day, but the injury-stricken Cebuano behemoth is confident he’ll be ready by Sunday.
“Gagaling na ‘to,” said Fajardo, hinting at finally meeting Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar in a much-anticipated duel of the giants.
The Fajardo-Slaughter and Fajardo-Aguilar match-ups could finally be seen on the PBA floor as the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings and the San Miguel Beermen clash Sunday in the continuation of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Their keenly awaited showdown didn’t happen in the Philippine Cup as Fajardo got injured a few days before their match.
Fajardo gut hurt again before the start of the Commissioner’s Cup but insisted he could be back for the San Miguel-Ginebra tussle.
Game time is 5:15 p.m.
It’s a faceoff between the two all-Filipino losing semifinalists, both looking for a second straight win in the mid-season Commissioner’s Cup.
Josh Boone put in a determined effort though knowing he would lose his job soon, producing 16 points and the same number of rebounds as San Miguel Beer ripped Meralco, 94-76, Friday night.
Later that same night, Barangay Ginebra went through a wringer before overcoming Barako Bull, 108-104, in overtime.
Boone was a big help especially as Fajardo sat out the game due to a sprained left ankle. Even then, there’s no certainty in Boone’s status after their game with Barangay Ginebra since his prospective replacement in Kevin Jones was to arrive Saturday night.
Jones was a 2012 US NCAA Consensus All-American who had a brief stint as a Cleveland Cavalier in the NBA later in 2012. He’s coming in fresh from a tenure with the Canton Charge in the NBA D-League.
His papers, however, wouldn’t be ready yet for the game against Ginebra.
“We’ll wait order from the management,” said Purves.
San Miguel Beer coach Biboy Ravanes, however, has announced Boone will be replaced.
“I would like to commend Josh Boone. He knew he would be replaced, but still he played very hard. We appreciate his professionalism,” said Ravanes.
Ginebra import Leon Rodgers scored five of his 31 points in OT and had the last laugh in his personal duel with Barako Bull counterpart Joshua Dollard.
Rodgers made it 107-104 on two charities and the Kings eventually got the win with Jeric Fortuna missing a three-point try in the last four seconds of play. (SB)
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