It looks like June Mar Fajardo is slowly getting his form back.
In his second game back from a year-long layoff due to a gruesome shin injury, the reigning six-time PBA MVP showed how much he has progressed when San Miguel took on NLEX in a 2021 Philippine Cup affair, Friday evening.
On the court for 24 minutes and 42 seconds, Fajardo collected 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, along with 10 rebounds and a block as he helped the Beermen to a dominant 110-93 for their first win of the season.
The 31-year-old has visibly shaken off rust, which was evident in their debut last Sunday against Meralco. There, he only mustered five points on seven shots, with five rebounds and an assist in exactly 18 minutes of play.
SMB is definitely glad to see their main man show flashes of the form that have helped them collect numerous championships in the last seven years. And one of those extremely elated is his frontcourt partner, Mo Tautuaa.
“It’s good to see June Mar coming back,” he said after the game at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
“He was getting his points in the paint, and that really loosened it up for us. And from there, we just kept the ball rolling.”
The 6-foot-7 bruiser himself had a solid outing as well. He produced 16 points on a 63-percent clip from the floor, on top of nine rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block as he stuffed the stat sheet.
As commendable as his game was, though, Tautuaa deflected the credit to Fajardo, saying that the 6-foot-10 slotman’s presence only makes things easier not just for him, but for the rest of the Beermen, too.
“June Mar, man, that’s the six-time MVP,” he said. “He’s one of the biggest threats in our league and having him out there really helps.
“I mean, he’s there, he’s attracting a lot of defense, and what it does for everyone else is make the ball move and it’s easier for us to shoot.
“It’s great having him back and I love having him back. He’s a good guy on and off the court,” Tautuaa closed.
