JUNE Mar Fajardo kept pace of the Best Player of the Conference race despite San Miguel Beer bowing out of the PBA Governors Cup semifinals.
The eighth-time MVP remained on top of the individual standings with 44.8 statistical points, built behind impressive numbers of 21.0 points, a league-best 16.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.0 blocks in 21 games played during the playoffs.
Already a winner of 10 BPC awards in the past, the 34-year-old Fajardo leads the official candidates for the highest individual honor of the conference notwithstanding the Beermen failing to advance in the finals after losing to Barangay Ginebra Kings in their semifinals series, 4-2.
Others crowding out the 6-foot-10 center for the award are Arvin Tolentino (Northport), Robert Bolick (NLEX), San Miguel teammate CJ Perez, and the Barangay Ginebra duo of Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson.
Tolentino was unshaken at no. 2 with 37.5sps even with Northport falling short of making the playoffs. He led the league in scoring with 23.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.
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Bolick ranks third with 35.9sps while topping the tournament in assist with an 8.2 average, aside from his usual numbers of 19.1 points and 6.2 rebounds.
Perez comes in at no. 4 with 33.9sps (17.5 pts, 5.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.4 steals), followed by Aguilar (18.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists), and Thompson (13.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.2 stelas), who are tied at fifth spots with similar 32.2sps.
Meanwhile, TNT's Rondae Hollis-Jefferson leads Justine Brownlee of Barangay Ginebra in the highly-anticipated race for the Best Import of the Conference.
Hollis-Jefferson, who won the same award last year when the Tropang Giga dethroned the Kings in six games, accumulated 57.4sps behind numbers of 28.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists, while topping both the steals and block shot departments with 2.9 and 1.9, respectively.
Brownlee, a three-time winner of the Best Import honor, is running second with 50.9sps, while averaging 28.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 block shots.
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The two are expected to play a huge role for their respective teams in the best-of-seven finals that kick off on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
EJ Anosike of San Miguel (44.6sps) and Rain or Shine's Aaron Fuller (41.8sps) complete the official list of candidates for the Best Import award.
The awarding of both the BPC and Best Import honors will be made in Game 4 of the title series on Nov. 6 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.(RG)
