Not even a bad calf will stop June Mar Fajardo from helping San Miguel Beer in its quest to clinch the Philippine Basketball Association Comissioner’s Cup crown.
Fajardo, who had trouble with his left calf since Friday, said he wants to make the most of this best-of-seven championship series and help out in any way he can.
The Cebu native, known as “The Kraken,” delivered for San Miguel with a double-double effort of 18 points and 15 rebounds in the team’s 108-98 win over Magnolia in Game 5, giving the squad a 3-2 series lead.
With Game 6 set for Wednesday at the Big Dome, Fajardo also wants to utilize the two-day gap to rest himself and get ready for one of the two chances the Beermen have to close the series.
“We need the win. Our goal is the championship. We have a two-day rest so I’ll use it wisely,” Fajardo said.
“I wanted to play because I don’t want to waste the opportunity that we are in the finals. My injury isn’t something big so I can play it through.”
While he was a key figure in head coach Jorge Gallent’s squad, the
soft-spoken Fajardo deflected the credit to his teammates for the win.
“The physicality is hard but that’s what you expect in the finals. I just picked up the rebound so the credit for this win goes to my teammates,” Fajardo said.
Gallent praised Fajardo’s strong resolve to close the series and clinch the Beermen’s 29th PBA title.
