By REYNALD MAGALLON
Call it guts or simply luck. Or perhaps, for June Mar Fajardo, the combination of it.
Fajardo ran the length of the floor, had enough time to heave a last-gasp jumper and then got the lucky bounce for the buzzer-beater as San Miguel handed Rain or Shine its first loss with a 113-112 escape in their thrilling Group B duel in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5.
With the Beermen down by one with three seconds left and inbounding from the opposite court, CJ Perez immediately got the ball and threw a bullet pass to a streaking giant in Fajardo running down the lane.
Fajardo stopped and popped for the elbow jumper that saw the ball hit the front of the rim but had enough spin on it to bounce up and go in.
The ball, after review, left the hands of Fajardo with 0.4 seconds left, confirming the clutch basket that capped the frantic finish that also saw ROS rookie Felix Lemetti almost becoming the hero after coolly sinking four straight free throws to put his team ahead.
But it was Fajardo who took all the spotlight as he went on to work in the second half with 27 points and 21 rebounds after being limited to just four points in the first two quarters.
His game-winning shot not only helped the Beermen snap a two-game slide but also preserved another high scoring performance from import Jordan Adams, who erupted for 41 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Still, even with the big numbers from the towering frontcourt of SMB, the Beermen had to hold their breath for a moment after Lemetti was fouled by Chris Ross while taking a shot from half court in the waning seconds.
Lemetti, who also buried a quick corner trey to keep ROS within striking distance two possessions prior, showed nerves of steel and took care of all of the four free throws to give the Elasto Painters, 112-111 lead.
Sadly, that was when disaster struck for Rain or Shine as San Miguel managed to run to their frontcourt to get a good look at the basket for their final heave.
Lemetti exploded for a career-high 28 points – built on five triples while Aaron Fuller had 24 points and 19 rebounds. Adrian Nocum also added 21 points but was not enough to help Rain or Shine keep its record pristine although the Elasto Painters remained atop the standings with a 4-1 slate.
