PBA: Fajardo takes over for SMB, survives late Converge run

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

And that is why June Mar Fajardo is the PBA’s only seven-time Most Valuable Player (MVP).

With the San Miguel Beermen on the verge of melting down when the Converge FiberXers completed a courageous 18-point comeback in the fourth and final quarter, Fajardo took matters into his own hands, helping SMB avert the collapse, 105-96, last November 25, 2023, held at the Tiaong Convention Center in Quezon.

The Cebuano goliath carried the load for the Beermen and racked up eight straight points after the FiberXers trimmed their 18-point deficit to just a point off a Mac Tallo trifecta with 7:25 remaining in the final canto.

Needing a quick bucket to halt the bleeding, San Miguel went to Fajardo in isolation plays down the post and as expected, he delivered despite multiple bodies were being thrown at him by Converge head coach Aldin Ayo.

After the Fajardo scoring spree, San Miguel suddenly ballooned their advantage back to nine points, 93-84, and closed the road game in fashion.

San Miguel’s reinforcement Ivan Aska led the early Beermen scoring avalanche as his efficiency down the block helped the stacked squad earn an early double-digit lead.

With the FiberXers going cold in their offensive stretch, Aska just kept on attacking Converge’s paint and already reached the 20-point mark in just two playing quarters.

Aska paced San Miguel with 28 points, 11 rebounds, two steals, an assist, and a block, while Fajardo ended the win with 22 markers, nine boards, four dimes, and three rejections.

CJ Perez also boosted San Miguel after dropping 24 points and 11 rebounds while also tallying five assists and four steals.

On the other hand, the FiberXers got 17 points from floor general Aljun Melecio but their import Tom Vodanovich only had 11 markers.