REIGNING eight-time MVP and San Miguel Beer star June Mar Fajardo is on the way to bagging another record-extending award in the season-ending PBA Philippine Cup.
The hulking 6-foot-10 center leads the five-player race for the Best Player of the Conference plum after the pro league released the list of candidates at the end of the semifinals.
Fighting through a calf injury, Fajardo still notched impressive numbers of 16.0 points, a league-best 13.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.1 blocked shots to show the way with 39.6 statistical points.
Fajardo, 35, has won the BPC 11 times previously, the last of which came in the season-opening Governors’ Cup.
Robert Bolick of NLEX is at No. 2 with 36.6 SPs behind norms of 19.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists—best in the league, but the Road Warriors failed to advance in the semis after losing two straight to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the quarterfinals.
Fajardo’s fellow Beerman CJ Perez is expected to crowd the Pinamungahan, Cebu native for the accolade after coming in at No. 3 with 35.4 SPs (20.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.5 steals).
The conference top bucket getter in Phoenix forward Jason Perkins, averaging 23.2 points, and Magnolia sophomore Zavier Lucero complete the Top Five list.
Perkins is at fourth with 35.3 SPs (6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists), while Lucero amassed 18.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and No. 1 in block shots with 1.5 average for a total of 35.2 SPs.
Aside from Fajardo, only Perez of the four other contenders had previously lifted the BPC trophy during last season’s Commissioner’s Cup.
The winner of the final BPC award for the 49th season will be known before Game 4 of the finals between TNT and SMB on Sunday, July 20, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
