Duplantis misses on 3 pole vault world record attempts at Euros

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Armand Duplantis, of Sweden, makes an attempt in the men’s pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Rome, Wednesday, June 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Riccardo de Luca)

ROME— Armand Duplantis still has some work to do before extending his pole vault world record again.

The American-born Swede, known as “Mondo,” missed three attempts at clearing 6.25 meters at the European Championships on Wednesday.

But the Olympic and two-time world champion still claimed a third European title and extended his championship record to 6.10. And he has the Paris Olympics in less than 50 days to look forward to.

Duplantis has set the world record eight times, the last coming when he cleared 6.24 at the season-opening Diamond League meet in China in April.

READ: The difference between EJ Obiena and Mondo Duplantis

The Stadio Olimpico crowd tried to get “Mondo” going by singing “Volare” — and Duplantis came closest to another world record on his first attempt, hitting the bar with his chest on the way down.

On his second attempt, he hit his shins on the bar. Then his third attempt was the worst of the three.

With the competition ending near midnight, Duplantis acknowledged afterward that he was tired.

“I did not really think I was attempting the world record today,” Duplantis said. “It was not part of the plan. After the 6.10 meters, there was just too much energy there. I looked at my parents and we both had the same idea, we were like, ‘It is just fun, so why not?’ I cannot complain.”

READ: Mondo Duplantis breaks own pole vault world record

So it was an anticlimactic finish to the six-day championships.

But earlier, several other Olympic champions also claimed golds.

Jakob Ingebritsen, whose father was recently accused of abusing one of his other children, dominated the 1,500 in 3:31.95. The Norwegian shaved nearly a second off his own championship record set two years ago to complete the 1,500-5,000 double at Euros for the third time.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen European Athletics

Silver medalist Jochem Vermeulen, of Belgium, gold medalist Jakob Ingebrigtsen, of Norway, and bronze medalist Pietro Arese, of Italy, from left, pose on the podium of the men’s 1500 meters final at the European Athletics Championships in Rome, Wednesday, June 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Riccardo de Luca)

Marcell Jacobs led host Italy to victory in the 4×100 relay in 37.82 as the Azzurri warm up to defend their unexpected gold from the Tokyo Games.

Defending European champion Britain didn’t qualify for the final after a poor handover from Richard Kilty to Romell Glave resulted in a last-place finish in their heat.

It was Italy’s 11th gold and 24th medal overall to lead both categories by a large margin.

Malaika Mihambo of Germany leaped 7.22 into a headwind to take the long jump title with her biggest jump since 2019 — when she reached 7.30.

“This is madness, I have goose bumps,” Mihambo said. “The 7.22 meters was close to a perfect jump. I hit the board well. But the headwind was disturbing, so the result could have been even better.”

Femke Bol anchored the Netherlands to victory in the 4×400 for her third medal of the championship, having also won the 400 hurdles and helped the Dutch win the 4×400 mixed relay.

Keely Hodgkinson of Britain defended her 800 title in 1:58.65 and Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic won the javelin competition with a throw of 88.65.

Hodgkinson and Vadlejch are Olympic silver medalists.

Tams bag bronze in preseason tilt, show signs of things to come

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Far Eastern just sent a message to the field of the coming UAAP men’s basketball season that the Tamaraws will be a far different team when the real battle comes.

“We’re not out to just be like wait for our turn, diba? We wanna get out, we’re here, we’re playing, every game is [dedicated] to the FEU community,” rookie head coach Sean Chambers said after steering the Tamaraws to the bronze medal of the Filoil EcoOil Preseason tournament.

Far Eastern showed its grit and never-quit attitude here throughout, highlighting it on Wednesday afternoon with an 80-78 nipping of NCAA power Letran, 80-78.

With the arrival of Chambers, regarded as one of the best PBA imports ever while playing for defunct Alaska, the Tamaraws are looking to turn things around after a disappointing seventh-place finish in Season 86 behind former star LJay Gonzales.

And the former TNT Tropang Giga assistant coach feels nothing but gratitude for having the chance to help the talented Tamaraws.

“I am truly, truly blessed and honored to be part of the FEU organization,” Chambers, who was not shy to admit that he still has a lot to learn with regard to UAAP rules, said. “I feel a complete sense of honor to be back here in the Philippines and get this opportunity.

“This [tournament] is amazing for me because it gives me a slight [idea] of what the UAAP is gonna be like,” he said. “I believe it’s only one way to continue and go up.”

Nothing but praise

Mainstay Jorick Bautista is still a reliable contributor on the offense end for Far Eastern, dropping 21 points on the Knights, while graduating guard Royce Alforque provided leadership for the younger Tams apart from finishing with 19 points and five assists.

“I am just amazed with [Alforque’s] work ethic, his determination and I think his leadership is gonna be so invaluable for us … I know we’re playing with a lot of young guys, but the talent level is amazing,” Chambers said of his ace, who has worked hard after an injury.

Chambers also had nothing but praise for incoming rookie forward Veejay Pre, who posted 13 points and 10 rebounds. He expects the young gun to be an asset when Season 87 unfolds.

“Veejay is gonna have a long career playing basketball,” Chambers said. “I think what’s most impressive about Veejay is that he’s such an amazing kid, too, like he’s such a great guy. He’s one of the hardest working guys everyday, he’s focused on everything.”

Another cog to look forward to is Senegalese big man Mohamed Konateh, who feasted off the boards to come up with 21 rebounds apart from 11 points.

Although it is only a preseason tourney, the Tamaraws believe that the bronze they earned is a sign of better things to come.

“Absolutely,” Chambers said when asked if Far Eastern can build on this. “I told the guys last time that we lost to UP that we’re not playing for show. We wanna continue to work on ourselves and let the chips fall where they fall, and we are out here trying to win.”

Celtics hold off Mavericks for commanding 3-0 NBA Finals lead

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Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, left, is hugged by guard Jaylen Brown after they defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-99 in Game 3 of the NBA basketball finals, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

SCHEDULE: NBA Finals 2024 Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks

DALLAS — Jayson Tatum scored 31 points, Jaylen Brown had 30 and the Boston Celtics held off a furious Dallas rally to reach the brink of a record 18th championship with a 106-99 victory over the Mavericks on Wednesday night for a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals.

Brown finished with eight rebounds and eight assists as the Celtics extended their franchise record with a 10th consecutive playoff victory and moved to 7-0 on the road this postseason. They can win the series and break a tie with the Lakers for most NBA championships with a victory Friday in Dallas.

Boston also improved to 10-1 in these playoffs without Kristaps Porzingis after the 7-foot-2 Latvian was ruled out about two hours before the game because of a rare tendon injury in his lower left leg sustained in Game 2.

The status of Porzingis for the rest of the series appears in doubt, but it might not matter. None of the previous 156 teams to face a 3-0 deficit has rallied to win an NBA playoff series.

The Mavericks almost pulled off a crazy comeback to avoid the big hole — 13 years after the only other rally to match it in the NBA Finals sparked Dallas’ run to its only title against Miami.

LIVE UPDATES: NBA Finals Game 3 Celtics vs Mavericks

Boston led 91-70 at the end of a 20-5 run early in the fourth quarter before Dallas answered with a 22-2 spurt to get within a point with 3 1/2 minutes remaining.

Problem was, Luka Doncic picked up his sixth foul with 4:12 remaining when a challenge was unsuccessful before Kyrie Irving, who scored 35 points, hit a jumper to get Dallas within one.

Tatum and Brown saved the Celtics from there, with some help from Derrick White, who scored 16. Those three combined for the remaining 13 Boston points to get the Celtics within a victory of their first title since 2008, and just the second since 1986.

In a game that seemed over early in the fourth, the score was stuck on 93-90 for more than three minutes. That included when Doncic was called for a blocking foul on a driving Brown.

The Mavericks had nothing to lose with the challenge, since it meant trying to save their superstar from disqualification.

READ: NBA Finals: Porzingis out of Game 3 due to rare tendon injury

Without Doncic, Dallas managed to get within two before Brown hit a pullup jumper with a minute to go. P.J. Washington Jr., Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. each missed a 3-pointer in the final minute as Irving’s personal losing streak against his former team reached 13 games.

An energized Dallas crowd was ready for its first finals game in 13 years, with Super Bowl-winning quarterback and Mavs fan Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs frequently getting out of his seat near midcourt.

The Mavericks used the needed boost coming off two losses in Boston, taking their biggest lead of the series while running out to a 22-9 lead. Doncic and Irving drove for buckets while also hitting a 3 apiece.

The Celtics answered with a 21-9 finish to the first quarter. Sam Hauser hit two of his first-half 3s — on three attempts — to help wrap up a run that started with four points from Brown and a 3 from Tatum.

Defense dominated the start of the second quarter, Boston holding a 5-2 edge nearly six minutes in before Irving and Tatum traded 3s to start a scoring burst.

PH duo rules mixed relay event in China

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Melvin Sacay and Juliana Shane Sevilla joined the growing list of Filipino pentathletes with big international wins after ruling the mixed relay junior category recently in the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne 2024 Laser Run World Championships in Zhengzhou, China.

Both natives of Ormoc City, 17-year-olds Sacay and Sevilla completed the 3,600-meter run-and-shoot course on a flat terrain in 12 minutes and 50.07 seconds to turn back the Chinese duo of Ding Quan and Meng Xin, which clocked 13:02.43.

2 silvers

Two more silver medals added sparkle to the Philippine campaign in Zhengzhou courtesy of Sacay in the men’s junior division and the trio of Sevilla, Princess Honey Arbilon and Shyra Mae Aranzado in the women’s race.

Samuel German was paired with Aranzado for a bronze medal in the mixed relay where five targets were spread out for every 800 meters on the course.

“It’s quite gratifying for us to win in the world championships,” Philippine Modern Pentathlon Association president Richard Gomez told the Inquirer. “All our athletes are strong and driven. A different medalist from our team emerges in every competition, that’s how determined they are to qualify for the Olympics.’’

NBA Finals: Celtics’ Porzingis out of Game 3 due to rare tendon injury

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Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis celebrates after scoring against the Dallas Mavericks during Game 2 of the NBA Basketball Finals, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

DALLAS — Kristaps Porzingis did not play for the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night because of a rare tendon injury in his lower left leg suffered in the previous game.

The Celtics announced about two hours before tipoff that Porzingis was out for that game against the Dallas Mavericks, but coach Joe Mazzulla later left open the possibility of the center being ready for Game 4.

“The medical team and the staff decided it wasn’t what was best for him,” Mazzulla said about Game 3. “It’ll just be a day-to-day thing, see how he is tomorrow and the next day. … He didn’t look right. That was it. I was not involved in it. It was out of his hands.”

READ: NBA Finals: Porzingis a big problem for Mavericks team that cast him off

The 28-year-old Porzingis had missed 10 consecutive playoff games because of a right calf strain before returning last week for the start of the NBA Finals, and helped the Celtics take a 2-0 series lead against his former team. He jump-started the Celtics with 11 points and two blocks in the first quarter of their Game 1 win, then had 12 points in the game in which he got hurt.

Porzingis has said he felt something after bumping knees Sunday night with Dallas center Dereck Lively II but kept playing. He left the game in the final minute of the third quarter and played only about 3 1/2 minutes in the fourth.

The 7-foot-2 Latvian has a tear in the tissue that holds tendons in place. The Celtics said it was unrelated to the calf strain he sustained in Game 4 of the first round against Miami on April 29.

Al Horford, who turned 38 last week, started at center against the Mavs, like he has since Game 5 against the Heat. He scored the first five points for the Celtics, on a short jumper and a 3-pointer.

READ: Porzingis returns, Celtics open NBA Finals with big win over Mavericks

After the team announced the injury Tuesday, Porzingis said he was going through constant treatment and doing everything the medical staff told him. He said he would do whatever he could to play, but acknowledged that he “can’t trick them into allowing me to play.”

Mazzulla had said then that the team was taking that decision out of Porzingis’ hands.

“I’ve appreciated just his approach. Throughout the whole playoffs … He’s never missed any meeting, he’s always been out there, done everything he can to play,” Mazzulla said before Game 3. “Sometimes it’s an unfortunate situation. It’s nothing that he can do.”

With Porzingis missing Game 3, he still hasn’t played a game in Dallas since being traded by the Mavericks nearly 2 1/2 years ago.

Porzingis was the fourth overall pick by the New York Knicks in 2015, and was an All-Star before a torn ACL forced him to miss all of 2018-19. They traded him to Dallas in January 2019, a deal involving seven players and two first-round draft picks. Dallas traded Porzingis to Washington on Feb. 10, 2022, and the Wizards sent him to Boston in a three-team trade last summer.

When the Wizards played at Dallas in January 2023, Porzingis was inactive after playing in 12 of their previous 13 games. He also didn’t play for the Celtics this past January, when they visited American Airlines Center the night after he had 32 points, six rebounds and five blocked shots in Houston.

Beermen find their way around Bolts defense to level series

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For June Mar Fajardo and the San Miguel Beermen, Meralco’s stifling defense has made the quest for another championship one of the toughest they had experienced.

For one night, at least, they found the antidote.

With some help from a pair of players that saw action for the first time in the series, the defending champions, a 111-101 winner on Wednesday, put themselves back on level terms with the Bolts in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

“Credit to Meralco, not only for the way it’s defending me, but the whole team,” Fajardo said after his 28-point, 13-rebound outing on the night he won the Best Player of the Conference for an astonishing 10th time at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Fajardo has spent the previous three games of the showdown for the biggest prize of the PBA season trying to solve the defense thrown at him by the Bolts, a ploy anchored on the likes of rookie Brandon Bates and veteran Raymond Almazan.

Fajardo seemed to have found the answer, and so did the rest of the Beermen.

CJ Perez had another key performance along with Marcio Lassiter with his three-point shooting and San Miguel breached the century mark for the first time in the series after averaging just 90 entering Game 4.

Perhaps the most crucial adjustment that helped that was the decision by coach Jorge Gallent and his staff to give Terrence Romeo and Vic Manuel significant minutes in the second half. The two had not played in the Finals until Game 4, which was held on the same day the country celebrated its 126th year of independence.

Trajectory change

Romeo had been bothered by a calf injury after the semifinal sweep of Rain or Shine while Manuel had to wait until Wednesday to get his number called.

Manuel and Romeo combined for 15 points, the former making good on his seven-minute stint to backstop Fajardo and Mo Tautuaa.

“I asked them if they can play at least 110 percent, and they did,” Gallent said.

Gallent believes the win could change the trajectory of a series dictated by the Bolts, but only if the Beermen continue to find their shots.

“In the first three games, they were having 16 more shots than us,” Gallent said. “If a team averages 16 more shots than you, that’s really hard to beat [them] and really hard to win.”

Chris Newsome produced a career-high 40 points, most of which came as the Bolts were attempting to cut multiple double-digit deficits in the second half; the closest the Bolts got was within two.

A completed comeback would have been a series-defining moment. Instead, Meralco will look to get back to the drawing board and find a way to regain control.

Basketball legend Jerry West dies at 86

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LA Clippers executive board member Jerry West attends a game between the Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets during the 2022 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 7, 2022. Obsessive perfectionism and a deadly jump shot made Jerry West, who died on June 12, 2024 at the age 86, one of the greatest guards in NBA history. His uncompromising will to win and encyclopedic knowledge of the game also made him one of the league’s all-time great executives. —Agence France-Presse

LOS ANGELES — Jerry West, an iconic 1960s star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers who inspired the NBA logo, died Wednesday at age 86, the Los Angeles Clippers announced.

West played for the Lakers from 1960 through 1974, winning his only NBA title in 1972, and was co-captain on the 1960 Rome Olympic US basketball gold medal squad.

In later years, West served as an executive on several NBA clubs, most recently the Clippers, his knowledge and guidance contributing to eight championship runs, six by the Lakers.

“Jerry West, the personification of basketball excellence and a friend to all who knew him, passed away peacefully this morning at the age of 86,” the Clippers announced. “His wife, Karen, was by his side.”

The league plans to have a pre-game tribute to West before Wednesday’s third game of this year’s NBA Finals.

“I’m so deeply saddened at the news of Jerry’s passing,” fellow NBA icon Michael Jordan said in a statement. “He was truly a friend and a mentor. Like an older brother to me. I valued his friendship and knowledge.

“I always wished I could’ve played against him as a competitor, but the more I came to know him, I wish I had been his teammate. I admired his basketball insights and he and I shared many similarities to how we approached the game. He will be forever missed. Rest in peace, Logo.”

With impressive speed and quickness and a deft shooting touch, West was nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his skilled shotmaking under pressure.

“Jerry West was a basketball genius and a defining figure in our league for more than 60 years,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.

“He distinguished himself not only as an NBA champion and an All-Star in all 14 of his playing seasons, but also as a consummate competitor who embraced the biggest moments.”

In the 1969 NBA Finals against the arch-rival Boston Celtics, he received the Most Valuable Player award even though the Celtics beat the Lakers for the title.

West was an NBA All-Star in all 14 of his league seasons and the NBA scoring champion in 1970. His jersey number, 44, was retired by the Lakers.

Current Lakers star LeBron James, a four-time NBA champion and four-time MVP, said he will miss chats with the legend.

“Will truly miss our convos my dear friend! My thoughts and prayers goes out to your wonderful family! Forever love Jerry! Rest in Paradise my guy!” James posted on X, formerly Twitter.

West was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980 and was enshrined again in 2010 when the entire 1960 Olympic basketball team was inducted.

In October, West will be enshrined for a third time as a contributor for his work as an executive, becoming the first person ever inducted as both a player and a contributor.

In 1969, the NBA created its current logo, which was the silhouette of West dribbling a basketball, an image inspired by a photograph of West during a game.

“He was the league’s first Finals MVP and made rising to the occasion his signature quality,” Silver said.

“Jerry’s four decades with the Lakers also included a successful stint as a head coach and a remarkable run in the front office that cemented his reputation as one of the greatest executives in sports history.”

For his career, West averaged 27.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists a game.
‘Basketball sage’
West, who coached the Lakers from 1976-1979, would capture eight titles as an NBA executive, five with the 1980s “Showtime” Lakers, another with LA in 2000 and two with Golden State in 2015 and 2017, before joining the Clippers.

“This is a hard day,” Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said in a statement.

“I’m honored to call Jerry a confidant, an advisor and a friend. Connie, my wife, called him my ‘Basketball Dad.’

“He was absolutely my basketball sage: wise, loyal and so much fun. If you were in his presence, you felt his competitiveness and his drive.

“He cared about everything and everyone. From the first day I met Jerry seven years ago, he inspired me with his intellect, honesty and enthusiasm. He never stopped.

“He always lent an ear and he always had a quip. He always left me laughing. I will miss him.”

NBA Finals Game 3 Celtics vs Mavericks

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2024 NBA Finals schedule (Game 3)

8:30am – Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks

FULL SCHEDULE HERE.

Kyrie Irving channeling 2016 as Mavericks plot NBA Finals rally

Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks looks to pass the ball during the third quarter against the Boston Celtics in Game Two of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 09, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP

DALLAS – Kyrie Irving is drawing from the experience of Cleveland’s 2016 NBA Finals comeback as he attempts to help dig the Dallas Mavericks out of an 0-2 hole against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.

The Mavericks host their first game of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, desperate for victory after dropping the opening two road games of the best-of-seven series in Boston last week. FULL STORY

NBA Finals: Porzingis has rare leg injury, uncertain for Game 3

Kristaps Porzingis Boston Celtics NBA Finals

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis talks with reporters before basketball practice, Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Dallas, in preparation for Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

DALLAS — Kristaps Porzingis hasn’t played a game in Dallas since the Mavericks traded him nearly 2 1/2 years ago, and now it is uncertain if he will play there in Game 3 of the NBA Finals for the Boston Celtics.

Porzingis has a rare tendon injury in his lower left leg, which occurred in the third quarter of Boston’s 105-98 victory for a 2-0 series lead. The team said Tuesday that he was day-to-day, and Porzingis said he will do everything he can to play Wednesday night. FULL STORY

NBA Finals: Mavericks need more 3s to fall in rally bid vs Celtics

Luka Doncic Dallas Mavericks NBA Finals

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic shoots free throws during basketball practice, Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Dallas, in preparation for Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

DALLAS — Luka Doncic’s message is simple for the struggling 3-point shooters around him, and with Dallas trailing Boston 2-0 while coming home for the NBA Finals.

“Just one thing: Keep shooting,” the Mavericks superstar said. “We all believe in those shots. That’s how we came to the Finals. That’s how we played the whole season. We believe in those guys.”

Dallas faces several daunting numbers going into Game 3 on Wednesday night. FULL STORY

Celtics control NBA Finals despite Jayson Tatum’s shooting woes

Jayson Tatum Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks NBA Finals

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) questions a call during Game 2 of the NBA Basketball Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

DALLAS — There have been two versions of Jayson Tatum so far in these NBA Finals.

Version One is shooting a dismal 12 for 38 from the field, just 31.6%, the worst percentage by far of any starter in the series between his Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. Version Two is second in the finals in total rebounds, leads the series in assists and, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, is currently favored to win the NBA Finals MVP award. FULL STORY

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San Miguel teammates in collision course for PBA MVP plum

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June Mar Fajardo’s selection as the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) for the PBA Philippine Cup has officially made the MVP derby for Season 48 a two-pronged race between him and San Miguel Beer teammate CJ Perez.

Fajardo’s record 10th BPC which he claimed before Wednesday’s Game 4 of the all-Filipino title series between the Beermen and the Bolts may either put the 6-foot-10 center closer to an unprecedented eighth MVP plum and make it hard for Perez to nab the prestigious plum for the first time.

Perez was named BPC of the Commissioner’s Cup when San Miguel took down Magnolia in six games last February.

Teammates battling for the most coveted individual honor are not common cases, but have happened in past seasons.

Among them were San Miguel’s Danny Ildefonso and Danny Seigle in 2000 and 2001, with the former ending up winning the award on both occasions.

Red Bull’s Willie Miller edged out Davonn Harp in 2002 for his first of two MVP plums and Purefoods’ James Yap prevailing over two others, including fellow Chunkee Giant Kerby Raymundo in 2006. In 1997, Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codinera, best friends who anchored Purefoods’ title runs, engaged in what was then one of the closest races for the award.

Fajardo became the cinch for the BPC award after early pacesetter Robert Bolick of NLEX saw his team being swept by Meralco in the quarterfinals. Bolick’s bid fizzled out despite outstanding numbers, particularly on the offensive end.

Terrafirma rookie Stephen Holt, a key fixture in the Dyip’s dream playoff run that nearly saw themselves score an upset over the Beermen in the quarters, was another BPC contender.

Disqualified

Fajardo, the gentle giant and longtime San Miguel cornerstone, compiled 1,100 points based on statistics and votes from media and players, with Holt placing second with 651 followed by Bolick in third with 641.

Perez was named the BPC of the season’s lone import-laden tournament, partly due to Fajardo being disqualified after failing to garner at least 70 percent of San Miguel’s Commissioner’s Cup games by the end of the semifinals.

Fajardo eventually got into the top of the MVP race after the Beermen defeated the Magnolia Hotshots for the Commissioner’s Cup title, when he finally got enough games to be eligible for any individual honors.

Interestingly, Fajardo didn’t miss any action during the conference despite being bothered by a calf injury in the early goings.Perez, however, has stayed consistent in the Philippine Cup, though he wound up just fourth in the conference’s BPC tally with 503 points.

PBA Finals: Vic Manuel ‘happy, nervous’ in timely return for San Miguel

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San Miguel Beermen big man Vic Manuel during the PBA Philippine Cup Finals Game 4 vs Meralco Bolts. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

SCHEDULE: PBA Finals San Miguel vs Meralco

MANILA, Philippines—It’s been a long time since he last saw action, but Vic Manuel returned at the most opportune time for San Miguel Beermen.

Manuel has been in and out of the injured list for quite some time, but San Miguel Jorge Gallent believed that the “Muscle Man” was ready for action in the grandest stage in the PBA Philippine Cup.

“I’m very happy, but at the same time a bit nervous,” Manuel told Inquirer Sports in Filipino after the Beermen’s 111-101 win in Game 4 on Wednesday.

“I was gone for a while and my first game back is in the Finals. I just prepared myself because they told me to get ready yesterday in case I might be used. I told them I was always ready.

READ: PBA Finals: San Miguel gets back at Meralco to tie series at 2-2

“They also told me that no matter how many minutes would be given to me, just give everything that I could do to help the team.”

Manuel did the most out of his seven minutes on the court, immediately showing his impact for San Miguel Beer despite a long lay-off.

And he certainly showed why he was the recipient of the 2018 Quality Minutes award as he finished with eight points and two rebounds, missing only one shot out of four tries.

It was a glimpse of the dominant side of Manuel before his run with the Beermen was hampered by several lingering injuries.

READ: Bad news for San Miguel foes: Vic Manuel nears full recovery

Last year, he suffered a left leg injury which had kept him out of action for the majority of the Governors’ Cup.

That injury would continue to keep Manuel out of action in this year’s Commissioner’s Cup before he managed to check in more in the ongoing Philippine Cup.

“I’ve been dealing with this [leg injury] since last year. It’s been a long time since I played an actual game because all we did was a walkthrough in practice and  we didn’t play 5-on-5, and before we got to the Finals, I got sick so at least I got a little rest.”

All of Manuel’s setbacks were just fuel for his gradual comeback on the playing court and Gallent is certainly taking notice of it.

“I’m really happy with Vic. Even if he had limited minutes, he really helped us a lot. His quality minutes were really great and he helped the team in today’s victory,” said Gallent.

“He’s just getting his breath back and it’s coming back because he’s doing extra work in practice. He wants his timing back and I’m sure it’s going to come back, I just hope it’s soon,” the veteran tactician added.

Should Manuel’s minutes in the Finals increase or decrease in the now-virtual best-of-three series, one thing is for sure: he will give his best as someone who’s already been in the grandest stage before.

“I’m already a veteran when it comes the Finals and the PBA so whatever challenge is given to me, I’m ready. No matter how many minutes they give me, I’ll give my best.”