THE return of reigning seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo to San Miguel Beer just before the quarterfinals of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup means a dreaded frontcourt combination with import Bennie Boatwright.
SMB’s towering big men in Boatwright and Fajardo–one plays outside while the other bullies his way inside–can spell trouble for any opponent.
“He gives us space. The defense cannot collapse on him, and Bennie is a good passer so he can look for his open teammates,” Beermen coach Jorge Gallent said after his charges downed the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters 127-122 four days ago in their Last Eight showdown. “He is very good for us, and he is a good compliment to June Mar.
“June Mar is an inside presence, and Bennie is an outside presence, so we’re very happy that Bennie is here, that he can help June Mar do his stuff inside the paint,” he added.
The 6-foot-10 Fajardo, who sat out six games in the eliminations due to a fractured left-hand injury he sustained last Nov. 29, said he and Boatwright are playing beautiful music together.
“Mas gumagaan iyong trabaho ko. Sana laging ganoon para hindi ako masyadong mabugbog,” Fajardo said. “Kailangan basahin ko iyong (galaw) niya, shooter talaga, scorer talaga, kailangan ko siyang hanapin.”
The No. 2 Beermen’s triumph over the seventh seed Elasto Painters sent SMB into a best-of-5 semifinals battle with defending champion and No. 3 Ginebra, which also made short work of sixth-ranked NorthPort 106-93 in the quarterfinals last Friday.
The opener of the race-to-3 series is set tomorrow at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with Gallent saying: “We will be ready.”
Eliminations topnotcher Magnolia faces Phoenix in the other semis pairing.
Boatwright and Fajardo’s resolve will certainly be tested against the Kings’ equally formidable big men in reinforcement Tony Bishop, Christian Standhardinger, and Japeth Aguilar.
Against Rain or Shine, Boatwright, a former USC Trojan, boomed in five three-pointers and notched a game-high 41 points, to go with 10 rebounds and four assists.
Fajardo added 13 markers, 13 boards, and five dimes.
