June Mar Fajardo (left, right photo) sure to suit up after missing the game against Macau together with Calvin Oftana (center) and Kai Sotto. —PHOTO BY MARLO CUETO
Of the three standouts who were on the sidelines when Gilas Pilipinas whipped up a second half rally to beat Macau in a friendly on Monday night, only June Mar Fajardo is sure of seeing action in the Fiba Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia next week.
There’s a very slim chance that gunner Calvin Oftana might be playing, while 7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto has already been ruled out.
“He (Fajardo) will have two or three more days off from physical activities,” national coach Tim Cone said after a 103-98 victory over the Black Bears at Smart Araneta Coliseum, the send-off match for the PH Five. “But we expect him to start practicing when we arrive there (in Jeddah).”
It’s a no-brainer that the 11-time PBA champion and soon-to-be nine-time MVP Fajardo will be on the final roster of Gilas in Jeddah, judging from the way the Cone talked about the talented 6-foot-11 San Miguel Beer cornerstone.
And simply because Sotto, who is still recovering from surgery that repaired an ACL tear, has practically been ruled out for the rest of the year.
Game changer
“He changes the game for us,” Cone said after getting a brilliant game from AJ Edu, the only legitimate center he had at his disposal on Monday night. “We have to play a different way with June Mar on the floor.
“He has such an impact that you have to play differently when he’s on the floor.”
Gilas will touch down in the rich Middle Eastern country on Thursday and will have one more tune-up match, which will be against Jordan. Fajardo is penciled to play in that game already.
Fajardo just won another Best Player of the Conference award in helping the Beermen win yet another Philippine Cup title, doing it on one good leg after he had pulled a calf muscle in the semifinals against Cone’s Barangay Ginebra crew.
AJ Edu (No. 34) scores on a dunk and draws a foul on this play against Quentin Millora-Brown. PHOTO BY MARLO CUETO
And while Fajardo will be able to suit up despite playing hurt in the Finals against TNT, Tropang 5G gunslinger Oftana’s case is being treated differently.
“We’re not sure about Calvin,” Cone said when asked of the status of the prolific forward. “The medical reports showed that he might be out a little bit longer. That’s what we got so far.
“We were given a medical report from his camp so we’re not sure if he’ll be available for the whole tournament so we’ll try to address that soon.”
Oftana played the whole of the best-of-seven series on one good leg because of a twisted ankle, refusing to rest because TNT was already in such manpower trouble.
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The Tropang 5G managed to win two games over the Beermen, and Oftana certainly delivered, shooting 19 points when the Beermen clinched the title in Game 6.