Fajardo quick to move on from career night as Beermen enter crucial stretch
June Mar Fajardo is a man of many awards and achievements.
He won his seventh Best Player of the Conference award, the most in PBA history, and reached 5,000 career points on during Game 4 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals Friday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Fajardo, however, readily looked past the accomplishments after San Miguel got embarrassed at the hands of Barangay Ginebra, 130-100, and saw the series get tied at 2-2.
READ: Fajardo takes home 7th PBA Best Player of Conference award
“I have not thought about it,” said Fajardo in Filipino about his newly won trophy and career milestone. “But it’s been a blessing for me that I won the BPC and I’m thankful to God, to my teammates, to the coaching staff, and credit goes to all of them.”
“I won’t be able to do any of this if it weren’t for them. But that’s all history since we lost this game so we have to regroup and we have to bounce back in the next game.”
Fajardo entered the 5,000-point club in the 7:49 mark of the fourth quarter but it looked like a meaningless basket in the grander scheme of Game 4 as the Beermen were trailing 111-85 at that point.
READ: PBA Finals: Brownlee, Ginebra tie series with 30-point rout of San Miguel
The PBA’s reigning four-time MVP said the championship is the more important thing for him.
“We have to win the next game because this series just became a best-of-three and getting that next one isn’t that easy,” said Fajardo, who reached his scoring milestone in 287 games. “Although we were able to blow Ginebra out twice in a row it won’t mean we’ll be able to do it again.”
Fajardo pertained to Games 2 and 3 when the Beermen annihilated the Gin Kings 135-109 and 132-94, respectively, with the third game’s margin tying the league record for the biggest win in a finals game.
“We have to work hard if we want to win the next game because Ginebra won’t give up,” said Fajardo who had 15 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks. “This loss was a lesson for us, we have to rest and bounce back in the next game.”
