June Mar Fajardo allayed fears of his injury worsening after hurting his leg early in San Miguel’s eventual win over Barangay Ginebra in the do-or-die Game 7 of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals, Wednesday night.
The eight-time MVP said that he only felt some tightness in his hamstring, so he was able to return after the break and help the Beermen oust the Kings on the way to arranging a Finals date with TNT.
“OK naman,” he told reporters moments after their 100-93 come-from-behind victory at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. “Medyo nag-tight lang ‘yung hamstring ko. Akala ko nag-stretch muscle ko, pero OK lang naman. Pahinga lang.”
Fajardo has been closely monitored since suffering a minor calf tear early in the semis, the reason why he had to sit out Game 2 last June 27.
No one could blame SMB for feeling alarmed when he hobbled after hurting his right leg at the 34.2-second mark of the second quarter, upon landing from a layup off a pick-and-roll set with Juami Tiongson.
Fortunately for the Beermen, he didn’t need to sit out for a long period. He was back on the floor during the third and finished the match.
(C) PBA Images
The 35-year-old Cebuano even went on to tally 21 points and 19 rebounds with three assists, a steal, and two blocks to help his side to a strong windup in the fourth quarter. There, the crew scored 34 big points to complete the comeback.
And in ousting Ginebra, San Miguel foiled a Season 49 Finals trilogy from taking place. Instead, the team looks to prevent the Tropang 5G from winning the Grand Slam and achieving PBA immortality.
The Beermen actually achieved the rare treble back in 1989, but it’s a sensitive topic for Fajardo and some of the ‘Death Five’ remnants — the others being Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross — as it eluded their batch.
Not once, but twice, actually. First was in 2017 and then in 2019, both of which saw the traditional contenders fall during the season-ending Governors’ Cup.
For now, though, all of San Miguel’s focus is on the days leading up to Game 1 set this Sunday at the Big Dome. The coaches and players will look to maximize the time for rest and recovery — especially for the banged-up Fajardo.
“Mahirap kalaban TNT kasi takbuhan ‘yun. Alam naman natin na takbuhan ang game ng Talk ‘N’ Text. Paghahandaan namin ‘yun,” he said.
“Sa ngayon, hindi muna namin iisipin ‘yun,” he added quickly. “Sa ngayon, kailangan namin ng pahinga; kain nang marami, tulog nang marami.”
#WATCH: June Mar Fajardo eases injury concerns after Game 7 scare and is thankful San Miguel is back in the #PBA2025 Philippine Cup Finals 🏀
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/OfOjzgd1lT
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) July 9, 2025
