MANILA — As the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup narrows to its final four, June Mar Fajardo stands in prime position to extend his own legend, with the San Miguel Beermen star emerging as the clear frontrunner for a record-breaking 13th Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award — buoyed not just by elite numbers, but by the timely exit of several top challengers.
At the end of the quarterfinals, Fajardo topped the statistical race with 45.4 statistical points, built on an all-around line of 17.4 points, a league-best 15.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game for San Miguel Beermen.
His closest statistical pursuer, Calvin Abueva of the Titan Ultra Giant Risers, averaged 23.6 points to lead the conference in scoring and logged 41.2 statistical points, but his candidacy dimmed after the Giant Risers bowed out before the semifinals.
Also no longer active is Juan Gomez de Liano of the Converge FiberXers, who tied with teammate Justine Baltazar for third overall at 37.2 statistical points.
Behind them, Zavier Lucero of Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots placed fifth with 33.8, anchored by a league-high 2.0 blocks per game, while Joshua Munzon of the Giant Risers followed closely in sixth with 33.6.
Rounding out the Top 10 were San Miguel’s CJ Perez (32.92), TNT Tropang 5G winger Calvin Oftana (32.91), Converge center Justin Arana (32.6), and Meralco Bolts swingman CJ Cansino (31.2).
Just outside the Top 10 were Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings guards RJ Abarrientos (31.1) and Stephen Holt (30.4), San Miguel forward Don Trollano (30.5), Ginebra star Scottie Thompson (30.2), and Meralco ace Chris Newsome (28.0).
Fajardo further strengthened his case with a dominant 26-point, 23-rebound performance that powered top-seeded San Miguel past NLEX, 101–94, in the quarterfinals. With Abueva and Gomez de Liano already eliminated, only Perez, Oftana, Cansino, Abarrientos, Trollano, Holt, Thompson, and Newsome remain active among the leading BPC contenders.
Despite Converge’s early exit, Gomez de Liano still finished as the top-performing rookie in the BPC race, ranking third overall. The first player in PBA history to record a triple-double in his debut game, he averaged 19.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.2 steals.
He finished well ahead of fellow rookies Dalph Panopio of Blackwater Bossing (43rd, 21.9), JM Bravo of Terrafirma Dyip (57th, 19.1), Sonny Estil of Ginebra (79th, 15.9), and Chris Koon of Magnolia (96th, 14.0)./PN
