At one point in the first two rounds of the playoffs, San Miguel Beer center June Mar Fajardo averaged a record-setting 20-20 output.
His scoring slowed down due to shoulder issues in the semifinals but he still lorded over the boards and dished out more assists to compensate as the defending champions took care of business to advance into the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Philippine Cup finals.
“It’s okay now. I was able to get a good rest so it’s okay now,” the nine-time Most Valuable Player said ahead of Wednesday’s championship rematch against TNT.
With Fajardo feeling better after a grueling six-game Final Four against Barangay Ginebra, the Tropang 5G will have to deal once again with the 6-foot-10 behemoth keen on leading the Beermen’s stay in the all-Filipino throne.
The tough task of putting a body to slow down, if not stop, a rampaging San Miguel big man lies on the shoulders of head coach Chot Reyes’ frontcourt.
A healthy Poy Erram, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and grizzled veteran Kelly Williams welcome that challenging role.
But TNT knows it will need more than one man to match up with the 12-time Best Player of the Conference winner.
“Yeah, it just takes a team effort. Like we said, all of us will have opportunities against him. I'm sure of that. Henry (Galinato) as well,” Ganuelas-Rosser said.
“Just working as a team, playing team defense, that will be a key,” he added.
Erram, who hurt his knee during the course of last season’s finale that went to San Miguel in six games, added that it’s not just Fajardo they need to focus defensively as they’ll be going up against a team that’s talented up to the last man on the bench.