June Mar Fajardo vs Rain or Shine defenders. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
It’s has been the staple of PBA defense that whenever June Mar Fajardo gets the ball, a double-team is the minimum to stop him.
Rain or Shine did that to some extent, forcing the two-time MVP to 13-of-22 shooting, and those attempts came against double and even quadruple teams with hacks here and there even.
Fajardo said the hits he received downlow weren’t “thin” and he was immediately hacked the moment he got the ball.
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“What thin calls? Those were hard fouls I got,” Fajardo said after he finished with 38 points and 17 rebounds Thursday.
But Fajardo said that he doesn’t care about the calls, he just wants to play and win.
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“I don’t care about it, for me I want to play,” Fajardo said after his Beermen lost to Rain or Shine 105-97 as the Elasto Painters tied their semifinals series at 1-1. “I won’t argue with the calls, that’s how it is, you can’t blame the referees. The referees’ job is not that easy, and our job as players is to play, and we will play.”
Despite finishing with 38 points in the face of stifling defense, Fajardo’s only open looks came from the free-throw line and the charity wasn’t that kind to him also.
Fajardo only converted 12 of his 22 free throws .