San Miguel’s Fajardo top candidate for PBA Best Player of the Conference

San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo (15) puts up a shot over the NLEX defense during their PBA Philippine Cup clash .

(PBA Images)

MANILA, Philippines — Once again, June Mar Fajardo is leading the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) race in the PBA Philippine Cup.

Fajardo, the engine that runs the league-leading San Miguel Beermen, is ahead of the pack at the end of the quarterfinals.

The 6-foot-10 big man, who has won 12 BPC awards, is averaging 17.4 points, 15.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, as well as 1.1 blocks and 0.7 steals a contest.

He has a total of 45.4 statistical points (SPs) through 12 games played.

Second on the list is Titan Ultra's Calvin Abueva, who averaged 23.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks a contest. He has 41.2 SPs through 10 games, but the Giant Risers were eliminated with a 4-7 win-loss record at the end of the eliminations.

Converge’s Juan Gomez-de Liano and Justine Baltazar went three-four in the race. The former had 37.23 SPs with averages of 19.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.2 steals a game, while the latter had 37.15 SPs with 14.8 markers, 14.2 boards, 3.2 dimes and almost one block and one steal a contest.

The FiberXers, though, got eliminated in the quarterfinals after absorbing two losses against Barangay Ginerba.

Rounding up the top five is Magnolia’s Zavier Lucero, who had 33.8 SPs with 17.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and 1.1 steals a contest.

Titan Ultra's Joshua Munzon (33.6 SPs), San Miguel’s CJ Perez (32.9 SPs), TNT’s Calvin Oftana (32.9 SPs), Converge’s Justin Arana (32.6 SPs) and Meralco’s CJ Cansino (31.2 SPs) complete the top 10.

Gomez-de Liano is the top performing rookie with his averages. Second among the rookies is Blackwater’s Dalph Panopio, who has an average of 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game for 21.9 SPs.

Terrafirma’s JM Bravo has 19.1 SPs, followed by Ginebra’s Sonny Estil (15.9 SPs) and Magnolia’s Chris Koon (14.0 SPs).