Prophet June Mar? We’ll see!
There is no doubt in June Mar Fajardo’s mind that import Bennie Boatwright will deliver for San Miguel when it takes on Magnolia in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup titular showdown tomorrow.
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But The Kraken also believes the supporting cast — or Death 15 — will make a world of difference in the best-of-seven series, pointing out his teammate CJ Perez.
“Ganda ng nilalaro ni CJ ngayon,” he told a handful of reporters after the press conference for the finals.
Perez’s performance has been so great that Fajardo believes his teammate could bring home the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award.
“Tingin ko siya ang mananalo ng BPC kapag ganoon ang laro niya lagi,” he added.
It is highly likely.
While Perez wound up second to Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel’s Christian Standhardinger in the BPC race at the end of the elims, the Beermen dethroned the Gin Kings via sweep in the semis.
In that series, Perez averaged 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists and 1.7 steals.
[RELATED STORY: Empire strikes back: San Miguel back in PBA Finals, as all-conquering flagships should]
Fajardo, who fell out of contention for the individual accolade after missing some games due to a hand injury, needs Perez to continue to be at his best as San Miguel looks to bag the franchise’s 29th championship.
“Continue niya ['yung] ganoong laro [para] malaki ang tsansa naming manalo,” he said.
It remains to be seen whether Perez will make a prophet out of the seven-time MVP. But the former would rather focus on more pressing matters at the moment.
“Sana lahat pumanig sa amin at makuha namin 'yung championship,” Perez said.
Game One kicks off at the Mall of Asia Arena at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow. The finals will also be aired on RPTV, A2Z, PBA Rush and the Pilipinas Live app.