Saturday, March 12, 2016

Rain or Shine star Paul Lee feels comeback from injury not rushed this time

PAUL Lee feels his comeback on Friday night in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup came at the perfect time unlike his premature return for Rain or Shine in the Philippine Cup Finals.

Reiterating his return from a knee injury during the all-Filipino title series was rushed, the Elasto Painters star felt zero ill effects this time after he made his midseason tournament debut in a 108-105 win over San Miguel Beer.

“Pilit talaga yun (sa all-Filipino) pero wala naman tayong magagawa kasi kailangan maglaro nung time na yun,” Lee said.

“(Pero) lesson learned,” he was quick to add. “Bakit mo gagawin ulit yung nakasama sa’yo ng una? Kailangan maging maingat ka rin kasi ‘di maganda ang kalalabasan pag naulit ulit.”

Lee, who finished with three points, two assists, and one steal in 15 minutes, stressed he didn’t hold anything back – confident he’s fully recovered from his aggravated injury.

“Kung ano yung ginagawa ko dati, okay naman na ako,” the man they call “Angas ng Tondo” said. “Clear na yung isip ko na wala akong nararamdaman after the game. Doon ko lagi nararamdaman yung masakit sa akin, pagkatapos ng game. Ngayon, all good. Maganda yung pahinga ko.”

Lee, though, stressed he needs to get his timing back.

“Ngayon, medyo nakukuha ko yung full-speed na takbo ko at mabilis yung pag-recover. Medyo yung timing lang, kailangan pa ng practice.”

ROS coach Yeng Guiao agrees.

“He’s still struggling,” the veteran mentor said. “He does not have his legs under him yet. He doesn’t have the fitness yet.

“But he’s very decent,” he was quick to add. “We didn’t expect as much from him. We just wanted him to be broken in  this game.”

June Mar Fajardo's sudden exit throws Beermen in disarray, says coach Leo Austria

LEO Austria admitted the sudden loss of top gun June Mar Fajardo threw San Miguel in disarray, resulting in a 108-105 loss to Rain or Shine that brought to an end the team’s winning streak in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

The Beermen led by as many as 35-16 early in the second quarter until Fajardo went down with a right knee injury middle of the period when he stepped on the toe of San Miguel’s import Tyler Wilkinson.

In the words of Elasto Painters coach Yeng Guiao, ”June Mar getting injured himself was the biggest break we got in this game.”

Austria certainly agreed.

“Without June Mar, medyo tough para sa amin dahil nabago ang set-up because we have no big man to go to in the post,” said Austria, whose Beermen lost for the first time in four outings to fall at 3-2.

“Ever since naman siya yung haligi naming.”

The 6-foot-10 Fajardo never returned to the game and was already dressed up when the second half began.

By that time, the Elasto Painters had managed to crawl their way back into the game, 46-44.

But Austria is not making Fajardo’s absence an excuse, saying even without the Beermen’s bread-and-butter, ‘we can still win.’

The Beermen however, obviously lost its discipline without ‘The Kraken’ around.

“Na-bothered yung mga players. Na out of focus, nagkanya-kanya ng konti,” he said. “We’re able to regroup when we realized that there’s no more June Mar, but we fell short.”

Austria could only crossed his fingers that Fajardo’s knee injury is not as serious as the one he suffered during the Philippine Cup semifinals against Rain or Shine, which kept him out early in the best-of-seven finals against Alaska.

Incidentally, the Aces are up next against the Beermen on Wednesday.

“I hope yung nangyari kay June Mar is just a minor (one). I hope,” said the soft-spoken mentor.

Yeng Guiao impressed with Mo Charlo enough to consider him for Governors' Cup

RAIN or Shine seemed to have found the right import replacement for Wayne Chism in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup in Mo Charlo.

The new reinforcement stood out in his debut, firing 35 points built around six triples along with 13 boards, three, assists, and one block in 39 minutes in the Elasto Painters’ 108-105 win over San Miguel Beer on Friday night.

“I just wanted to have a great showing and show my team what I can do,” Charlo said. “It was a great win.”

The 32-year-old American forward evidently jelled well with his teammates despite practicing with them for just three days.

“They believe in me,” Charlo said. “They’ve given me a lot of confidence just to play my game and shoot the open shot. And that just gives everybody confidence. Everybody shares the ball.”

“Hopefully I make a great impression,” added the NBA D-League veteran, who turned pro in 2006. “I don’t want to leave. It’s a great country, all the fans are great, and I love it here so far. Hopefully I could end my career here and stay here for many years to come.”


ROS coach Yeng Guiao seems so impressed with Charlo that he’s already considering the new import for the Governors’ Cup, which has a 6-foot-5 height limit for imports.

“He’s a great option for us coming into the third conference,” the veteran coach said of Charlo, who was officially measured at 6’4 15/16. “He’s not as a big as the other imports, but he’s a great defender, gives us a lot of range, and he’s active: he can run with the team in the open court.”

“Mo can still get better,” Guiao added of Antoine Wright’s replacement. “He’s in game shape and he’s just learning to play with the guys, so I think things can look better for us.”

“Maybe with the changes in import, what happened to Wayne could be a blessing in disguise,” he concluded.

With no more emotional baggage, Al Thornton back to his best for NLEX

CARRYING no emotional baggage this time, Al Thornton regained top form on Friday in leading NLEX to a 104-99 win over Meralco in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

The Road Warriors import admitted he was bothered by his pregnant girlfriend suffering a bum stomach on the day they were on the wrong side of a 27-point blowout at the hands of Rain or Shine last Friday.

“She wasn’t feeling well,” Thornton said of his girlfriend, who threw up after drinking local water at a restaurant. “She was really sick and I was worried about her. But she’s feeling fine now.”


Coming off a conference-low 19 points in 37 minutes against the Elasto Painters, Thornton bounced back in a huge way with 38 points in 38 minutes against the Bolts.

NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez said Thornton initially kept the problem to himself – and it showed in his dismal performance.

“Medyo hindi niya nasabi sa amin, kaya medyo bothered siya that day. He said sorry about it,” Fernandez said. “At least naayos naman namin. I told him na lang na if you have some things that bothers you, you just have to let us know. Kasi after ng game na lang niya sinabi that's why he rushed to his condo para maayos naman yung girlfriend.”

“And he promised to recover and it showed today,” Fernandez added, saying Thornton was also bothered by a minor knee injury.

“As of now kasi he's practicing without the brace, so nakikita mo yung effort na medyo okay na,” Fernandez said. “Maganda na yung kanyang development dun sa injury. And yung kanyang treatment nakatulong talaga sa kanya.”

Rain or Shine leans on impressive Mo Charlo debut to clip San Miguel

RAIN or Shine figured out how to beat San Miguel Beer without June Mar Fajardo this time as it held off the Beermen, 108-105, to gain some momentum in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Friday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.wa

The Elasto Painters, who lost to the Beermen without the reigning MVP in Game Six of the Philippine Cup semifinals, found a way to get past SMB this time, although barely, to register a second straight win and move to .500 with a 3-3 win-loss record.

Mo Charlo impressed in his debut as the new ROS import, tallying 35 points, highlighted by six three-pointers, on top of 13 boards as the E-Painters put an end to the Beermen’s three-game winning streak that dropped their slate to 3-2.

“We got another big break with June Mar,” E-Painters coach Yeng Guiao said of Fajardo, who hurt his right knee in the second quarter and never returned.

“The other good thing for us was we got the import we needed,” the veteran mentor added, referring to Charlo, who replaced Antoine Wright.

One of Charlo’s treys came with a little over two minutes when he buried a dagger from the top of the key that gave ROS the lead for good at 101-100, before delivering on the defensive end with a steal off Tyler Wilkerson and a dish to Maverick Ahanmisi for the breakaway layup.

Paul Lee also made his return from his knee injury and gave the E-Painters an emotional boost as the ROS star finished with three points, two assists, and one board in 15 minutes.

The E-Painters fell into a huge 19-point hole early when Fajardo was still playing, but pulled to within two points at the half after the SMB cornerstone went down with his injury.

Despite the absence, the Beermen stayed within striking distance behind Wilkerson, who finished with 33 points and 10 boards in 36 minutes.



The scores:

ROS 108 – Charlo 35, Quinahan 15, Ahanmisi 13, Tiu 13, Chan 12, Cruz 6, Ponferada 5, Belga 4, Lee 3, Norwood 2, Almazan 0, Ibanes 0, Trollano 0

SMB 105 – Wilkerson 33, Lassiter 18, Cabagnot 18, Ross 12, Santos 10, Espinas 4, Fajardo 4, Lutz 4, Semerad 2, Arana 0, De Ocampo 0

Quarterscores: 32-14, 46-44, 76-76, 108-105

Friday, March 11, 2016

ROS Vs San Miguel - March 11, 2016


SAN Miguel big man June Mar Fajardo hurt his right knee midway through the first half of the team’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup game against Rain or Shine and didn’t return Friday night.

The 6-foot-10 Fajardo injured the knee after stepping on the foot of import Tyler Wilkinson as he was trying to backpedal.

He remained on the Beermen bench for a while as the knee was iced before proceeding to the team dugout just before halftime.

Fajardo said there’s some swelling and pain on the hurting knee but added there was nothing to be worried about.

“Nailalakad ko naman,” said Fajardo as he was dressing up.

"Bugbog lang siguro," added the two-time league MVP, who was joined in the dugout by injured Beermen Brian Heruela and Ronald Tubid, along with his current beau Aerieal Patnongon.

The knee though was not the same one he injured during Game Six of the Philippine Cup semifinals against Rain or Shine after a tackle by Jireh Ibanes.

NLEX Vs Meralco - March 11, 2016


HISTORY repeated itself as NLEX shut down Meralco, 104-99, to get back on the winning track in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Friday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

The Road Warriors used a late salvo in the third period to turn the game around and take the lead for good on the way to dealing the Bolts their second straight loss – the first to San Miguel Beer – after starting the conference with five straight wins.

The result thus mirrored what happened to the Bolts in the last midseason tournament where they also suffered their first two losses at the hands of SMB and NLEX, respectively.

Al Thornton recovered from a woeful offensive performance, tallying 38 points on 13-of-20 on top of 12 boards to lead the Road Warriors, who snapped a two-game skid to put their win-loss record on level terms at 3-3.

“But it’s really our defense that gave us this win,” Road Warriors coach Boyet Fernandez said. “I’m hoping this would be a good start for us.”

The Bolts were in the driver’s seat most of the way and still led, 62-50, early in the third, but the Road Warriors clamped down from thereon, banking on a run that saw them gain a 97-84 lead midway through fourth – completing a 25-point turnaround.

The Bolts managed the pull within striking distance at three points twice within the last two minutes, but came no closer than that.

Garvo Lanete provided the most local support to Thornton, firing 14 points on top of two steals, and an assist and rebound each in just 18 minutes.

Eight players scored at least eight points each for the Bolts, but Arinze Onuaku was held to just 16 points on 12 attempts, although the Meralco import did have 18 boards.

The scores:

NLEX 104 – Thornton 38, Lanete 14, Alas 10, Anthony 9, Taulava 8, Khobuntin 7, Villanueva E. 7, Enciso 6, Villanueva J. 3, Reyes 2, Borboran 0, Arboleda H. 0

MERALCO 99 – Onuaku 16, Amer 14, Dillinger 14, Alapag 11, Ferriols 10, Newsome 10, Faundo 8, Hugnatan 8, Hodge 4, Bono 2, Caram 2, Buenafe Ronjay 0, David 0

Quarterscores: 24-31, 50-57, 81-79, 104-99

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Should Star stick with Ricardo Ratliffe? 'If they tell me to go home, I'll go home'

JUST like a good soldier, import Ricardo Ratliffe said he’s ready to do whatever Star Hotshots needed from him in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup campaign.

Even if it meant being a stand-in replacement for resident import Denzel Bowles.

“I’ll just do my job as long as they need me,” said Ratliffe following his Philippine debut on Sunday night in the Hotshots’96-88 win over Tropang TNT at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Ratliffe arrived in the country on Saturday morning as a temporary replacement for veteran Denzel Bowles, who had to leave for the US on short notice following a death in the family.

But the 27-year-old native of Hampton, Virginia immediately made a case for himself by finishing with 23 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists in a 38-minute job in just the Hotshots’ second win in six outings.

And the 6-foot-8 import said local fans hadn’t seen the best of him.

“I didn’t play my best. I’ll get better,” he stressed. “But it's pretty good, we won.”

Even Star coach Jason Webb seemed to have given the nod on Ratliffe, a former Jones Cup MVP.

“Ricardo has impressed us today. He gives us a dimension that’s very different,” he said.

Still, Ratliffe is not about to take things easy, stressing he’s here to play at the pleasure of the Hotshots.

“If they told me to go home, I’ll be ready to go home even tomorrow,” said Ratliffe with a stoic face.

Tropang TNT holds breath as Jayson Castro's old Achilles injury resurfaces

JASYON Castro will give in to the medical staff’s advice to rest after an old Achilles injury recurred on Sunday late in Tropang TNT’s 96-88 loss to Star in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

The Texters superstar took a wrong step within the last minute of the game then hobbled on the way to the bench, compounding the misery of the defending champions who fell to a 2-4 win-loss record.

Castro admitted there was a slight tear on his Achilles which he first injured way back with Gilas Pilipinas, before the 2014 Fiba World Cup and resurfaced anew in the last Commissioner’s Cup.

“Pabalik-balik at maga siya,” the national team star said. “May konting punit, pero hindi ganun ka-grabe. Sinuggest na rest talaga.”

Castro said he has been taking pain relievers just so he could see action.

“Sa kakulitan ko, gusto ko talaga maglaro para makatulong sa team,” the 29-year-old cager said. “Syempre ang sama ng record namin kaya gusto ko maglaro talaga.”

“Pero this time siguro, kailangan ko muna ipahinga,” he added.

Castro said he will take three to four days of rest ahead of the Texters’ next game on Sunday against NLEX.

Castro is expected to miss Gilas practice on Monday along with another injured playmaker in Terrence Romeo.

Asked if there’s surgery needed, Castro is keeping his fingers crossed.

“Sana wala naman (surgery),” he said. “Kasi this time, iba na yung sakit eh. Pero sana wala.”

Joseph Yeo rides bench for second straight game, takes latest trade talks in stride

JOSEPH Yeo has bounced from one PBA team to another in the past that he’s become immune whenever there are talks about him being involved in yet another trade.

And so ‘The Ninja’ is taking the news that he’s on the way out of Globalport with a grain of salt after being benched for the second straight game in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday.

Yeo was in Globalport’s traditional neon-green uniform, but ended up listed as DNP (Did Not Play) in the 115-103 loss to Blackwater, the team’s third straight setback.

The 32-year-old shooting guard out of De La Salle said he’s no longer frustrated with the latest twist in his  10-year pro career.

“Sa totoo lang, hind na ako nafa-frustrate,” admitted Yeo. “Sa practice pa lang naman makikita mo na kung gagamitin ka o hindi.”

Yeo admitted being surprised when he wasn’t fielded in during the team’s loss to league leader Meralco Bolts a week ago. He was so upset with the way things went for him and the team that he had some ‘words’ with coach Pido Jarencio.

“Kinausap ko siya (Jarencio). Kasi nung una medyo na bad trip ako sa kanya (the last game). Kasi nagulat ako hindi ako pinalaro,” he explained. “Wala namang problema sa akin kung nanalo, eh kaso natalo pa. Kaya medyo na-frustrate ako.”

Yeo said he has since apologized to Jarencio, who stressed that the move was a gambit on his part.

The only thing Yeo could think about is he doesn’t fit Golbalport’s system.

“Hindi ko alam kung fit ba ako sa system nila o hindi,” he said.

He also disclosed being surprised by the rant made by team owner Mikee Romero on social media where he hinted about a GlobalPort shooting guard not playing according to his potential, which many assumed was Yeo.

“I was surprised dahil siyempre siya pa yung kumuha sa akin,” he said of Romero, who went out of his way to get Yeo from Barako Bull (now Phoenix) for the Batang Pier’s first-round pick in 2016.

But he said he understands where the GlobalPort owner is coming from, adding, “Feeling ko very disappointed siya sa showing ko kasi mataas ang expectation niya. Baka hindi ko naaabot yung expectations niya.”

Yeo said he’s just trying to create a positive mood within the team as he watched the action from the bench,

“Mino-motivate ko na lang yung ibang teammates ko to play well. I’ve been telling them na chance ninyo na ito dahil hindi ako makakalaro and wala rin si Stanley (Pringle),” he said.

At the same time, he’s also using the incident to motivate himself.

“Positive lang ako kung anuman yung mangyari. Sanay na rin naman ako diyan,” he stressed. “Motivation sa akin yun (trade rumors). Basta pakundisyon lang ako lagi.”

Talk N Text Vs Hotshots - March 6, 2016


STAR came through in the face of adversity, turning back Tropang TNT, 96-88, to revive its postseason bid in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Still trying to build chemistry with new import Ricardo Ratliffe, the Hotshots erased an early 18-point deficit and proved steady come crunch time as they got back on the winning track and tied their victims with a 2-4 win-loss slate.

Allein Maliksi provided a huge spark off the bench, leading the Hotshots’ early comeback and also delivering down the stretch to finish with a career-high 29 points in 31 minutes for his team, which tied their victims with a 2-4 win-loss slate and moved out of the cellar.

“In the first quarter, I didn’t think I had a chance to be here,” Hotshots coach Jason Webb said in the post-game conference. “Credit my guys who showed the fortitude to come back.”

Maliksi almost singlehandedly lifted the Hotshots out of a 31-13 hole as he caught fire in the second quarter where he scattered 18 points.

The former University of Santo Tomas standout ended up with making all six triples to match a league record for most three-point makes without a miss, joining a list of six players, including Glenn Capacio, Dondon Hontiveros, Vic Pablo, and Renren Ritualo.

Two of Maliksi’s treys came within the last two minutes, one that put the Hotshots up, 92-87 at the 1:05 mark and the other at the buzzer.

Ratliffe, who replaced Denzel Bowles, finished with 23 points, 13 boards, and four assists in 38 minutes.

Jayson Castro paced the Texters with 18 points, but missed two crucial charities and a stab from point-blank range down the stretch.



The scores:

STAR 96 - Maliksi 29, Ratliffe 23, Yap 10, Melton 8, Barroca 6, Pascual J. 6, Pingris 6, Pascual R. 3, Simon 3, Reavis 2, Sanggalang 0, Taha 0.

TROPANG TNT 88 - Castro 18, De Ocampo 15, Simon 12, Ababou 11, Tautuaa 11, Fonacier 6, Rosser 6, Williams 4, Reyes 3, Rosario 2, Aban 0.

Quarters: 13-26, 51-51, 66-73, 96-88

Blackwater Vs Globalport - March 6, 2016


BLACKWATER finally figured out one of its previously unsolvable puzzles as it outdueled GlobalPort, 115-103, to move back above water in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

The Elite outran the Batang Pier and found holes in their opponents’ zone defense as they rolled to their first victory in three outings to jack up their win-loss record to 3-3.

Mike Cortez made a rousing return from injury, facilitating the Elite’s offense with aplomb with 22 points and seven assists, while import MJ Rhett anchored down low with 30 points and 13 boards for Blackwater, which beat GlobalPort for the first time in franchise history after four losses.

“Naka-isa na kami sa kanila,” Elite coach Leo Isaac said. “Unti-unti, nakakatikim kami ng panalo sa mga more established teams ng liga. Sana magtuloy-tuloy lang ang development.”

That reduced the list of the Elite’s opponents they haven’t beaten have yet to just Rain or Shine, Star, Tropang TNT, and NLEX.

The victory also served as a present for Blackwater owner Dioceldo Sy, who celebrated his 58th birthday on Sunday.

“It’s a must-win daw sabi ni boss,” Isaac said. “Somehow it rubbed on the players.”

While they put an end to their skid, the Elite compounded the Batang Pier’s woes as their victims suffered a third straight loss to fall to 2-4.

Already without injured Stanley Pringle, the Batang Pier also missed his backcourt partner Terrence Romeo in the third quarter to rest a minor calf injury.

Romeo returned in the fourth, but it proved too little too late. The Batang Pier star finished with 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting and four boards against six turnovers and zero assist in 21 minutes.



The scores:

BLACKWATER 115 – Rhett 30, Cortez 22, Dela Cruz 16, Cervantes 13, Lastimosa 12, Gamalinda 9, Reyes 7, Bulawan 2, Erram 2, Tiongson 2

GLOBALPORT 103 – Warner 26, Romeo 17, Uyloan 15, Jensen 12, Taha 12, Kramer 8, Semerad 7, Mamaril 5, Washington 1, Fortuna 0, Maierhofer 0

Quarterscores: 27-27, 62-51, 87-79, 115-103.

Friday, March 4, 2016

Alaska Vs Phoenix - March 4, 2016


THE real Alaska showed up in the second half as it pummeled Phoenix, 105-89, to continue to roll in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Friday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

After allowing the Fuel Masters to score 30 points in the second quarter, the Aces recommitted to the defensive end of the floor after intermission to gain command for good on the way to their third successive victory after starting the conference with a loss.

The Fuel Masters, on the other end, continued their own three-game run – on the losing end, however – to drop to a 1-3 win-loss record.

“Our defensive energy was fantastic in the second half,” Aces coach Alex Compton said. “I believe that was the biggest difference.”

Shane Edwards continued to make a case to be the Aces’ permanent import as he registered 33 points and 16 boards in 32 minutes, while Vic Manuel provided the spark off the bench with 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting in just 24 minutes.

“Shane was a track star out there as he kept running and running, and Vic continues to be awesome,” Compton said.

The Aces’ energy emanated from the defensive end as they turned to their usual full-court pressure that forced the Fuel Masters to commit 26 errors that translated to 33 turnover points and 26 off the fast break.

Alaska’s defense limited Phoenix to just 41 points in the second half after allowing the new franchise to score 30 points in the second quarter, alone.

Kevinn Pinkney paced the Fuel Masters with 27 points, 12 boards, three assists, two blocks, and two steals against eight turnovers in a losing effort.



The scores:

ALASKA 105 – Edwards 33, Manuel 26, Thoss 12, Abueva 8, Banchero 7, Jazul 6, Baguio 4, Casio 3, Dela Cruz 2, Exciminiano 2, Racal 2, Eman 0, Hontiveros 0, Vanlandingham 0

PHOENIX 89 – Pinkney 27, Garcia 15, Intal 14, Wilson 10, Monfort 8, Baracael 6, Pennisi 3, Brondial 2, Lanete 2, Miranda 2, Caperal 0, Forrester 0, Knuttel 0, Sorongon 0

Quarterscores: 19-18, 43-48, 76-68, 105-89

NLEX Vs Rain Or Shine - March 4, 2016


RAIN or Shine regained top form as it overwhelmed NLEX, 121-94, to snap a three-game skid in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Friday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Coming off a humiliating 26-point loss to Alaska last Saturday, the Elasto Painters vented their ire on the Road Warriors by putting on a great start and an even better finish to roll to their first victory in four games.

Antoine Wright showed some improvement as he shone on both ends to lead the E-Painters, who handed the Road Warriors their second straight loss to tie their victims with a 2-3 win-loss record.

“We finally got our rhythm back,” E-Painters coach Yeng Guiao said. “I hope we can be consistent with it. We got our running game, passing game, and rebounding game back.”

The E-Painters outran the Road Warriors with 33 points off turnovers and 26 fast-break points, dished out 33 assists, and outrebounded their opponents, 58-42.

Wright made just six of his 16 attempts for a paltry 37.5 percent, but he made up for his poor shooting in other areas as he flirted with a triple-double of 20 points, nine boards, and seven assists in 26 minutes.

The ROS import also left an imprint in limiting his fellow NBA veteran Al Thornton to just 19 points in 37 minutes.

It was a balanced effort overall for the Painters, who had nine players score at least eight points each as they maintained a sizeable lead that ballooned to 29 points late in the payoff period.



The scores:

ROS 121 – Wright 20, Ponferada 15, Almazan 14, Chan 12, Cruz 12, Quinahan 12, Ahanmisi 10, Teng 9, Norwood 8, Belga 3, Tiu 3, Matias 2, Trollano 1, Ibanes 0, Nimes 0

NLEX 94 – Thornton 19, Anthony 17, Taulava 14, Reyes 12, Villanueva J. 10, Enciso 7, Lanete 7, Alas 4, Cardona 2, Khobuntin 2, Arboleda 0, Villanueva E. 0, Rios 0

Quarterscores: 29-22, 58-43, 85-70, 121-94.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

June Mar Fajardo's recipe for success: 'Kain, tulog, practice basketball tas DOTA'

APART from DOTA, PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo also loves emoticons.    
That became pretty clear on Wednesday after the PBA handed the pro league’s official Twitter account to the San Miguel Beer center, who fielded questions from fans for 25 minutes.  
The two-time MVP gamely answered queries about his career, health and the inevitable Defense of the Ancients (DOTA) game to which he is an avid player.
Answering in both Cebuano and in Tagalog, Fajardo provided a refreshing glimpse of his playful and engaging personality. Here are some examples of the 25-minute exchange between the popular cager and his fans:

After a fan asked him about his injury, Fajardo responded:
okay na po.salamat sa prayers nyo.God bles.=)) https://t.co/CSLA1J9PgQ
— PBA (@pbaconnect) March 2, 2016 

When a fan asked Fajardo if he could have a jersey, the man mountain was apologetic:
wala na ako mga jerseys e dinala lahat ni mama sa cebu. wala na ako extra.sorry.:(
— PBA (@pbaconnect) March 2, 2016

When a Ginebra fan asked if it was possible he would play for the PBA's most popular team, the response was classic.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA https://t.co/0p20Gr0YlS
— PBA (@pbaconnect) March 2, 2016  

Asked who he considers the best DOTA player, Fajardo didn't pull any punches.  
c june mar!HAHAHAHAHAA.Joke lang... https://t.co/jD6kINcPN4
— PBA (@pbaconnect) March 2, 2016

Although in a follow-up question, the PBA MVP (who goes by Dodong Digoy in the Steam online gaming community) admitted Marc Pingris was a pretty decent player.
c Ping magaling... https://t.co/jD6kINcPN4
— PBA (@pbaconnect) March 2, 2016

His reply to the question as to how he maintains his strength was pure June Mar:
kain tulog practice basketball tas DOTA.. https://t.co/5QBEEA3SGf
— PBA (@pbaconnect) March 2, 2016
On a more serious note, Fajardo was asked who was the tougher opponent, Asi Taulava or Greg Slaughter?
pareho mahirap.. https://t.co/jjFGpAH72r
— PBA (@pbaconnect) March 2, 2016 

A fan asked if June Mar would be attending Gilas practices? His answer:
— PBA (@pbaconnect) March 2, 2016

"Abai" was also asked as to whether fellow Cebuano star Dondon Hontiveros should retire.
5yrs more pa para kay Dhonts
— PBA (@pbaconnect) March 2, 2016

After the session ended, Fajardo showed his appreciation and asked fans for their continued support.
"Thank you sa inyong lahat. Time na po ako and di na pwede mag extend. Hahahahaha. Suportahan nyo po lagi ang PBA pati na SMB. God bless us all!!=)) 
pasensya na po at di ko nsagot lahat ng mga tanong nyo. tawag na ko ni coach, hahahaha. next time ulit. thank you God bless!
— PBA (@pbaconnect) March 2, 2016