CEBUANO hoops star and San Miguel Beermen sentinel June Mar Fajardo is slowly regaining his form in just his second game back from a long layoff caused by a leg injury.
The 6-foot-10 giant from Pinamungajan threw his weight around against the NLEX defense on Friday night, July 23, and totaled 14 points along with 10 rebounds and a block in over 24 minutes of action. More importantly, it helped the Beermen come away with a 110-93 win over the Road Warriors.
Fajardo’s production against NLEX was a far cry from his five-point, five-rebound outing against Meralco last Sunday, which was his first game back from a 17-month break after he suffered a shin injury in February 2020.
While the rest of the franchise is surely elated to see the big man show flashes of greatness once again, one person who could not hide his excitement was forward Mo Tautuaa.
“It’s good to see June Mar coming back,” shared the versatile forward. “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.”
Tautuaa had a solid outing for San Miguel, tallying 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. However, he gave plenty of credit to the Cebuano, explaining that the six-time MVP’s presence alone opens up a lot of things for his teammates.
“June Mar, man, that’s the six-time MVP. He’s one of the biggest threats in our league and having him out there really helps,” shared Tautuaa. “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.” (JNP)