It was surprising, to say the least, to see June Mar Fajardo react so uncharacteristically.
Known as a mild-mannered individual, Fajardo had been visibly frustrated with an apparent non-call in the second frame of Game Two of their semis clash with the Alaska Aces on Monday, even spiking the ball to the ground hard.
His actions did not go ignored by the referees, and it resulted in a technical foul – a call that has almost never been made against the 28-year-old Fajardo in the six years he has been playing in the league.
“Nanggigil ako. Sorry.
“‘Di ko alam, parang nanggigil lang ako. Kasi gusto rin namin manalo tapos down kami,” recalled an apologetic Fajardo, as he and the Beermen were down big to the Aces, 34-21, prior to that incident.
Luckily for Fajardo, his frustrations did not extend for the whole night. The Beermen were able to climb back from the deep deficit and disappointed the Milkmen anew, 105-94, to inch nearer to the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
The six-year veteran was, as usual, pivotal to San Miguel’s resistance, and he finished the night with 21 points on an excellent 8-of-13 shooting from the field along with a game-high 18 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block.
This is now the second straight game where the Beermen broke the Aces’ hearts. Back in Game One last Saturday, Alaska had been able to climb back from 19 down to nine, but SMB did not let up and walked away with a 92-79 win.
Many now expect a sweep on Wednesday following Monday night’s win. But Fajardo doesn’t want the Beermen to get ahead of themselves, since they know how dangerous the Aces can be, especially now that their backs are against the wall.
“Walang madali kasi playoffs na,” said the reigning, four-time league Most Valuable Player. “Kailangan namin maging ready para sa Game Three. ‘Di namin afford na mag-relax.
“Kailangan na namin tapusin, kung maaari.”
