June Mar Fajardo to undergo tests on right calf after limping in San Miguel’s Game 1 semifinal loss

The San Miguel Beermen suffered a heartbreaking 73-71 defeat to long-time rivals Barangay Ginebra San Miguel after taking an 18-point lead in Game 1 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup semifinals on Wednesday, June 25, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

San Miguel suffered a major blow during the game as their star player and record eight-time PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), June Mar Fajardo, was seen grimacing and limping for nearly the entire second half after suffering a right calf injury.

The 35-year-old confirmed to the media after the game that he would have his calf examined by doctors in the hope that it is nothing serious.

“This is a long series. Hopefully, there’s nothing [serious], but I have an ultrasound tomorrow, so we’ll see. It hurts, but I’m positive that it’s nothing serious,” Fajardo said.

Despite the injury, Fajardo showed grit and determination, logging 33 minutes on the court. However, his struggles were evident as he managed only six points on 30 percent shooting from the field, though he still tallied an impressive 19 rebounds.

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The veteran center expressed disappointment over not being able to lead his team to victory in what turned out to be a thrilling game.

“Sayang. We’ll just bounce back in the next game. This is a long series,” he added.

The Beermen’s loss was Barangay Ginebra’s gain, with coach Tim Cone admitting that they noticed Fajardo’s discomfort and capitalized on it.

“We saw that June Mar was getting treatment on the sideline, so we took advantage of the times he was off the floor to get back in the game. When he’s on the floor, it’s just really, really tough. The good news is we just battled tonight. We were trying to make sure June Mar didn’t catch the ball in the paint or at the post,” Cone said.

San Miguel will hope that Fajardo’s calf injury is not serious, as they will need him fully fit and firing to level the semifinal series in Game 2, scheduled for Friday, June 27, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

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