Recovering Fajardo flaunts MVP form in Beermen season opener
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Talks on how June Mar Fajardo, who is recovering from plantar fasciitis, will perform hovered as San Miguel Beer begins its title-retention bid in the 2016 Smart Bro PBA Philippine Cup against GlobalPort.
But if the Beermen’s 97-86 win over the Batang Pier on Saturday offers any indication, the only conversation Fajardo’s name should be in is for the MVP race.
The back-to-back MVP picked up where he left off with 21 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks while providing crucial buckets down the stretch in Davao.
The Cebuano giant deflected the praise and said that his performance was just a product of the whole team’s effort to pick up the pace after a sluggish first quarter.
“Di ko pa masyadong nakukuha yung rhythm namin. Nung una, nangangapa pa kami pero nakuha na rin namin nung second half,” he said.
The Beermen won two crowns last year and the 6-foot-10 Fajardo knows that the rest of the league has San Miguel as its target.
“Same lang kami ng goal ng ibang teams. Gusto din namin manalo eh. Kailangan paglabas sa court, ibigay mo ang lahat,” he said.
Fajardo may have produced MVP numbers but he said that he’s still in the road to recovery as he slowly tries to get his timing back.
“Wino-work out ko naman yung recovery. Eventually, darating din ako doon, basta lagi lang mag-therapy at pahinga.”
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