Junemar Fajardo looked in much better form Wednesday night as he returned to action and logged extended minutes for the San Miguel Beermen.
The 6-foot-10 Fajardo, still easing back from a calf injury, delivered a solid double-double performance in Game 4 of the 49th PBA Philippine Cup semifinals against Barangay Ginebra at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
After missing the previous two games due to the injury, Fajardo rejoined the starting five and contributed 12 points and 19 rebounds in a commanding 107-82 win over the Gin Kings.
“Kailangan talagang manalo. Mahirap maging down 1-3 sa series. Reminder ni Coach [Leo Austria], kailangan itaas ang intensity at i-execute ang game plan. Thankfully, nagawa naman namin,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo was instrumental in San Miguel’s third-quarter surge, which saw them limit Ginebra to just 12 points after a 56-all deadlock early in the period.
“Their energy was really high. We were able to match their energy with a lot of perimeter shooting,” said head coach Leo Austria.
With Fajardo anchoring the defense and disrupting Ginebra’s inside game, the Beermen unleashed a 17-2 run to seize a 73-58 lead with 5:21 left in the third.
CJ Perez led the Beermen with 19 points, while Juami Tiongson added 14.
“Looking at the stat sheet, Ginebra had 18 assists. That’s still decent, but it’s below their usual average. It proves our defense was working. From the dugout, I already saw it—the team’s body language showed a different level of energy,” Austria added.
