After rare triple, June Mar not a 3-point threat just yet

Delfin Dioquino

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After rare triple, June Mar not a 3-point threat just yet
The reigning five-time PBA MVP says San Miguel coach Leo Austria has reminded him not to fall in love with the outside shot

MANILA, Philippines – June Mar Fajardo attempts three-pointers only once in a blue moon and he chooses to keep it that way. 

That is even after the 6-foot-10 center knocked down a rare triple early in San Miguel’s empathic 121-111 win over NLEX in the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup on Friday, March 8. 

With the shot clock winding down, the league’s reigning five-time MVP splashed in the trey from the right corner over Poy Erram’s outstretched arms to cap off a sterling 28-4 start. 

Dying seconds so kailangan kong itira, buti pumasok. Tsamba,” Fajardo, who finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds, plainly explained. 

(It was the dying seconds so I needed to shoot it, fortunately it went in. Pure luck.) 

Tumitira na ako sa practice pero siyempre sa loob pa rin ang laro ko. Minsan minsan lang, nagkataon lang.” 

(I shoot from the outside during practice but I am more effective inside. I will attempt a three-pointer once in a while.) 

Incidentally, Fajardo drained the three-pointer in front of his Gilas Pilipinas head coach Yeng Guiao, who has been known for giving his big men the green light to shoot from rainbow country. 

While the Cebuano giant acknowledged the possibility of extending his range in the international scene, he said San Miguel does not necessarily need him to shoot three-pointers. 

Dito sa PBA, ‘di ‘yun ‘yung laro ko. Sabi nga ni coach (Leo Austria), ‘wag ma-in love sa tres kasi di ‘yun ‘yung laro ko so paubaya ko na lang kila Marcio (Lassiter) at sa mga shooters namin,” Fajardo said. 

(Shooting triples is not how I play in the PBA. Just like what coach said, I shouldn’t fall in love with the outside shot. I should just let the likes of Marcio and our shooters take care of that.) 

But if given the space and the right situation, Fajardo would not hesitate from hoisting it up from downtown. 

Siyempre ‘pag bakante ako at malaki lamang, magte-tres ako,” he said. 

(If I’m free and we are enjoying a big lead, I will shoot a three-pointer.) Rappler.com

 

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Delfin Dioquino

Delfin Dioquino dreamt of being a PBA player, but he did not have the skills to make it. So he pursued the next best thing to being an athlete – to write about them. He took up journalism at the University of Santo Tomas and joined Rappler as soon as he graduated in 2017.