It wasn’t the kind of triple-double June Mar Fajardo had wanted
The reigning, four-time Most Valuable Player had 31 points and 18 rebounds for the San Miguel Beermen in Game One of the 2018 Philippine Cup Finals, but his numbers were negated by the 11 turnovers he committed.
A win would’ve been a perfect consolation for the error-plagued Fajardo, but that wasn’t granted by the basketball gods, as he and the Beermen lost to the gritty Magnolia Hotshots, 103-105, Friday evening.
“Marami kasi akong turnovers eh. Sa’kin talaga. Masyado akong nanggigil,” the 6-foot-10 slotman regretted moments after the match at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. “Maraming turnovers na na-convert [yung Magnolia].
“Dun sila nakakuha ng momentum.”
Turnovers truly killed the Beermen in the Finals’ curtain-raiser. Thanks to their defensive intensity, the Hotshots forced the defending, three-time All-Filipino champions to 20 miscues, and they converted those to 20 markers.
The best representation of that was when the Hotshots were able to wipe out a gargantuan 20-point deficit — 52-72 early in the third quarter — and suddenly turned it into a narrow 103-100 lead in the final 43.2 seconds left to play.
According to the league’s chief statistician Fidel Mangonon, the 20-point deficit is the biggest one overhauled in a PBA Finals game en route to a win, since Alaska came back from 21 to beat San Miguel, 78-70, for a 3-0 lead in the 2015 Philippine Cup Finals.
But even with the painful defeat, the 28-year-old still tipped his hat to Magnolia, and especially to Ian Sangalang, who poured in a career-high 29 points — highlighted by the post move he made that led to a Fajardo foul with 16 ticks left.
“Magaling ginawa ni Ian,” lauded Fajardo of the five-year pro, who shot 68 percent from the floor and grabbed nine boards.
Now, Fajardo and the Beermen are back to the drawing board after Friday night’s result, with their sights set on equalizing the series in Game Two this Sunday.
“Kailangan lang namin mag-bounce back, kailangan rin ireview bukas kung anong mga naging mali,” said the Cebuano superstar.
“Series naman ‘to eh, ‘di pa naman tapos.”
