Who can stop Fajardo?
Which team can stop San Miguel Beer’s
reign as PBA Philippine Cup champ and who can end June Mar
Fajardo’s dominance as the league’s best
player?
In the initial burst of action in the all-Filipino tourney at the end of 2017, Fajardo and the Beermen showed clear signs they are still the team to beat, starting their quest for a four-peat with back-to-back triumphs over the Phoenix Fuel Masters (104-96) and the Meralco Bolts (103-97).
And Fajardo was in his dominant self, hinting at possibly establishing a record fifth MVP run at the end of the season.
Last campaign, Fajardo joined Ramon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonio in an elite list of four-time PBA MVP winners.
The 6-foot-10 Cebuano behemoth started the new season with a double-double game of 23 points and 16 rebounds versus the Fuel Masters and followed it up with 26 markers, nine boards, one block and one assist against the Bolts.
And through the first two weeks of the tourney, he’s among the early pacesetters in the Best Player of the Conference race.
GlobalPort’s Stanley Pringle is No. 1 in scoring as he exploded for 33 points in their losing season debut versus the NLEX Road Warriors (104115). Next are SMB teammates Alex Cabagnot (averaging 25.5 points in their first two games) and Fajardo (24.5), then Ginebra’s Greg Slaughter (24.0) and Magnolia’s Paul Lee (23.0).
With 12 rebounds in his return to GlobalPort, Kelly Nabong is the surprised early leader in rebounding, followed by Fajardo (9.5), another Beerman Arwind Santos (9.0), Alaska Milk’s Calvin Abueva (9.0) and Meralco’s Jared Dillinger (9.0).
Kiefer Ravena, who could well be a sensational rookie, led NLEX to a 20 season start with victories over Kia break.
The loss ends any hope Muguruza had of leapfrogging Simona Halep and becoming world number one before the seedings are decided for Australian Open which begins on January 15.
Krunic will now play either Sorana Cirstea or Anastasija Sevastova in the quarter-finals.