by Jonas Terrado
It appears that a sixth straight PBA Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference award is all but a mere formality for June Mar Fajardo after topping the derby at the end of the semifinals.
The San Miguel Beer star compiled 41.4 Statistical Points to gain a wide lead over NorthPort’s Sean Anthony who registered 37.1, teammate Stanley Pringle with 34.8, TNT KaTropa’s RR Pogoy 33.6 and NorthPort’s Mo Tautuaa at 33.1.
Phoenix Pulse’s Calvin Abueva was supposed to have made it to the top five but ended up with 31.6 Statistical Points after being docked 40 points for multiple infractions committed in the recent semifinal series with SMB.
Forty percent of the statistics will be used while the remaining 60 will come from votes from the media (30%), players (25%) and the PBA Commissioner’s Office (5%)
Another BPC plum in the season’s biggest tournament will give Fajardo his eighth overall, the most since the league began handing out the award in 1994.
Fajardo averaged 20.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 blocks as the Beermen reached the Philippine Cup Finals for the fifth consecutive year.
San Miguel will face Magnolia in a best-of-seven title affair which begins Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
