June Mar Fajardo is a giant on the rise

MANILA, Philippines – As time trickled down in overtime and Senegal threatened to steal the game away from Gilas Pilipinas, the Philippine team’s fortunes turned even bleaker once Andray Blatche fouled out. 

The game was tied at 69. Gilas had squandered another double-digit lead and flirted with danger that could lead to another heartbreaking loss, and, in turn, finish their campaign with a disappointing 0-5 slate.

Blatche committed a foul off a Philippine turnover to stop Senegal’s fastbreak. His actions were pure but what it may have cost the team could potentially be devastating.

As Blatche skipped to the bench, Gilas head coach Chot Reyes called the number of his best local big man, reigning PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo. The San Miguel Beermen center was entered to the biggest moment of his pro basketball life, as millions of Filipinos around the world clapped their hands together and simultaneously prayed for a victory that had eluded the team since the start of the World Cup.

Against the towering bigs of Senegal, whose average height is 6-foot-8, Fajardo was supposed to wilt under the pressure. There was no way the silent and reserved giant could make up for the absence of an NBA caliber big man. Gilas was doomed without Blatche, some might have thought.

Except critics were wrong.

The Future of Philippine Basketball

Gilas eventually beat Senegal, 81-79, providing Jimmy Alapag with an unforgettable ending to his international career and the Philippines their first win in the World Cup in 40 years. 

Alapag was the hero. He hit a four-point play to start the fourth quarter. He tied Blatche for the highest scoring output with 18 points. He knocked in the game’s final free throws that sealed the history-making victory for Gilas Pilipinas, one that will be replayed by sports historians in the country over and over again.

But Fajardo was the Philippines’ savior.

Not long after Blatche’s disqualification from the game, Senegal managed to get a two-point lead. Just when it looked like the Philippines visit to Seville would end with another tragic defeat, Fajardo came to the rescue, scoring a tough layup in the paint while eluding the long arms of two Senegal players to tie the contest.

Later on, Fajardo had no intention of letting Gorgui Dieng push him around in the battle for the boards. There was no way he would let Senegal get another series of easy offensive rebounds similar to the end of the fourth quarter, which paved the way for Gilas’ opponents to hit a 3-ball that sent the game to overtime. 

Fajardo didn’t grab the rebound, but he drew a loose ball foul on Dieng. He then faced the most pressure-packed charities of his life, with the entire Filipino nation around the world watching in a mix of excitement and nerves, and calmly sank both.

Suddenly, Gilas was up by four, and it was Senegal’s turn to choke with their jumpers, paving the way for Alapag to put the icing on the cake at the foul line and hand the Philippines an accomplishment that will forever be cherished.

Fajardo finished with 15 very crucial points – most of which came in the second period when Gilas created separation – grabbed 9 rebounds, and had a +20 efficiency record, per FIBA.com. All game long, he was aggressive on both sides of the floor. He played the perfect complement to Blatche, who finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds. When the two were together in the second period, Gilas went on a monumental 17-0 run that turned a slim Senegal lead into a 15-point Gilas advantage.

Senegal, the 42^nd ranked team by FIBA, rallied and nearly escaped with the win against 34^th rank Philippines. But Fajardo wouldn’t allow it. The best local big man in Philippine basketball today stepped up to the challenge late in the game and further showed that he is the future of Philippine basketball.

Fajardo will never have the athleticism of Japeth Aguilar. He may never have the shooting ability of Blatche. And teams who have a better chance of scouting him in the future will take note of his slow foot speed and find ways to take advantage of it. 

But Fajardo has proven that he belongs on the international stage, having averaged 6.6 PPG and 4.2 RPG in just 13 minutes of action per contest. His mettle will be tested further as Blatche has been ruled ineligible for the Asian Games due to their three-year residency policy.

But with Fajardo’s arsenal and potential growing over the past season in the PBA with his MVP campaign and with his performance in the World Cup, Gilas will be better equipped to go to battle against the likes of Hamed Hadadi or Yi Jianlian. 

If Blatche winds up participating in more international tourneys in the future, the load on his shoulders will be less with Fajardo blossoming into a threat, especially on offense. Gilas looked deadly in occasions where both took the floor at the same time – so much that many were critical why Fajardo didn’t play more minutes. With more training sessions to get used to each other, it’s not unreasonable to believe they will even perform better as a tandem.

The future was already bright for Gilas thanks to the team’s overall performance in the World Cup. But Fajardo’s individual play makes what comes next even more exciting – especially for fans of the Beermen in the PBA. The Cebu native is the best big in Philippine basketball today, and he’s far from a finished product. That’s great news for Pinoys all over the world.

And not so much for everyone else. – Rappler.com