MANILA – June Mar Fajardo widened his lead for another Best Player of the Conference honors following his impressive numbers for the San Miguel Beermen in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the 2019 Honda PBA Philippine Cup.
The Pinamungahan, Cebu native was the heavy favorite for the individual award. He is the lone player in the top five that is playing in the ongoing best-of-seven finals between the Beermen and Magnolia Hotshots.
If Fajardo goes on to clinch his sixth All-Filipino Conference BPC trophy, he will again be an automatic candidate for the Most Valuable Player trophy at the end of the 2019 season.
Going to the championship round, the 6-foot-10 Gilas Pilipinas center averaged 20.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 rebounds for an average of 41.4 stats points per game.
Behind Fajardo in the best player race are NorthPort Batang Pier’s three key players in Sean Anthony (37.1), Stanley Pringle (34.8) and Moala Tautuaa (33.1), and TNT KaTropa gunner Roger Pogoy (33.6).
Phoenix Fuel Masters’ Calvin Abueva dropped down to No. 6 after the semis with the huge 40 statistical points deducted from his total because of technical and flagrant infractions. He ended up with an average of 31.6 SPs.
Fajardo’s teammate Alex Cabagnot came in seventh (31.6) while Hotshots’ Ian Sangalang (30.5 SPs), Fuel Masters’ Matthew Wright (30.4) and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings’ Japeth Aguilar (30.1) completed the top 10./PN