Junemar ‘The Kraken’ Fajardo
GIVEN the chance Junemar Fajardo would like to extend his reign. Not just as the player with most MVP (at unprecedented eight), but also as someone who has won the Best Player of the Conference. He already has 11, and counting.
Midway through the ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup, Fajardo was well on his way to doing that.
Until San Miguel fell into tough times.
One casualty in the event San Miguel is ousted from the playoffs is Fajardo. The eighth time MVP will no longer have a shot at winning another Best Player of the Conference award.
It became more apparent after San Miguel suffered a 115-97 loss to TNT on Sunday in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. The defeat left the Beermen’s playoff hopes in jeopardy, as they now sit in 10th place with a 5-7 record and have finished their elimination round schedule.
With their fate no longer in their hands, San Miguel will have to wait for the results of Magnolia’s game against Meralco and NLEX’s matchup against Eastern to determine whether they will have a chance at the eighth and final playoff spot.
If either Magnolia or NLEX wins, the Beermen will be eliminated from playoff contention for the first time in 10 years. However, if both teams lose, a playoff will decide the last playoff spot, resulting in a possible three-way tie.
The loss to TNT was another setback for Fajardo, who was leading the race for the BPC award at the midpoint of the tournament. If San Miguel fails to reach the playoffs, the eight-time MVP is expected to fall out of contention for the coveted individual accolade.
Meanwhile, Magnolia kept its playoff hopes alive with a dominant 107-78 victory over a fatigued Eastern team.
The Hotshots’ win moved them into a heated race for the last quarterfinals spot, alongside NLEX, who also scored a key victory. Both teams will need to win their final games to keep their playoff dreams alive.
With only one playdate left in the eliminations, the pressure is mounting for both teams, as well as for Fajardo, whose shot at another BPC award depends on San Miguel’s ability to keep its postseason hopes alive.