San Miguel Beermen’s June Mar Fajardo and Bennie Boatwright. –MRLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
June Mar Fajardo described import Bennie Boatwright as someone who could make his job easier as his return Friday gave a glimpse of how their combination could spell the difference in San Miguel Beer’s bid to win the PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown.
“I hope it’s all the time like this. Life is quite a bit easier,” Fajardo said in Filipino after his first game since late-November and helping the Beermen in a 125-117 victory at Smart Araneta Coliseum that cemented San Miguel’s hold on a twice-to-beat advantage within the quarterfinals.
Fajardo, whose modest 11 points, nine rebounds and 6 assists were enough, boosted San Miguel in closing out with an 8-3 record. And that’s in no way bad after he had missed their last six games as a consequence of a fractured left hand sustained in a game against Rain or Shine.
It was in that span that San Miguel selected Boatwright, the 6-foot-9 inside-outside threat who has now played the last three games of the eliminations as substitute for Ivan Aska. He finished with 44 points spiked by eight threes against the Bossing after dropping 51 the previous weekend opposite Terrafirma.
San Miguel import Bennie Boatwright Jr within the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Boatwright has proven to be greater than an acceptable substitute for Aska as his combination of being an inside presence and a player who can rating from the perimeter gives foes a distinct defensive perspective with Fajardo also dominant on the post.
“I like him. He makes my job easy because he’s such a fantastic passer,” Boatwright said of Fajardo, noting how the seven-time Most Invaluable Player can do many things with the ball in his hands.
“When he gets the ball inside, they must double him, go zone, and all I even have to do is space out and find me, and he finds everybody. In the event that they don’t double him, he can go one-on-one and he’s tough to stop. He’s a force to be reckoned with,” he added.
Awaiting foe
The combo spells danger to whichever team San Miguel faces within the quarters which opens next week. The Beermen will face the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the event that they finish second within the standings or the NorthPort Batang Pier in the event that they wind up third.
NorthPort is already sure of the sixth seed within the playoffs at 6-5, while Rain or Shine has already locked up the No. 7 spot even with a 5-5 record with Converge due up on Sunday at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
San Miguel finished classification with a five-game winning streak, overcoming multiple injury woes and a two-game slide midway into the campaign.
“Our first goal is to get the twice-to-beat advantage, so now we’ve to deal with our quarterfinals stint,” coach Jorge Gallent said. “So this five-game winning streak is out already. That is ladder one. We’re in ladder two now.”
San Miguel’s backcourt also contributed, with CJ Perez scoring 15, Terrence Romeo coming off the bench to provide 14 points and 6 assists in 17 minutes.
Blackwater ended the conference with a 1-10 record, failing to register one other win after taking down Converge in its opening project.
The Bossing, led by import Chris Ortiz’s 43 points, actually got inside some extent, 107-106, within the fourth, however the Beermen scored seven in a row to tug away.
