Student vs Teacher | With Fajardo back to form, Petron ends elims in a blaze

Originally posted on the PBA website on January 18, 2014

Whether it might be the sight of its former cornerstone in the opposing jersey, or just re-energized by their sophomore big man’s return to form, Petron Blaze overwhelmed Meralco, 96-87, in the 2014 PLDT myDSL-PBA Philippine Cup Saturday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, earning its 10th win and giving itself a shot for a possible playoff for the second twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.

“It’s a big win for us against Meralco. It’s a good way to bounce back after a loss, and coming into the quarterfinals, we want to have to some sort of momentum, some sort of positive attitude,” said Petron Blaze head coach Gee Abanilla.

“We still have a shot for No. 2, but it’s a slim chance for a knockout game. Most probably, we’re just gonna be waiting for whoever’s going to be paired against us. We’re going to be prepared for what’s going to be a gruelling week for us next week.”

June Mar Fajardo had his first start in this game since spraining his MCL and had his best outing since returning from injury, as he had his 10th double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds.

“Nakukuha na nya yung groove nya. Tingin namin unti-unti na siyang nagiging healthy. Sumasabay na rin yun chemistry, kasi nakakasama na rin sya sa practice. He’s ok compared than before,” Abanilla said of their top big man.

With 5:12 remaining in the first half, former Booster Danny Ildefonso entered the game and was cheered on by the enthusiastic Big Dome crowd. It was only a few seconds until he and his Cebuano student battled down low.

The two continued its battle in the paint in the second half, as Ildefonso scored on Fajardo numerous times. But it was a different case in the second half as Fajardo got a measure of retribution, using the spin move lay-up in the pain, scoring against his mentor.

“Siya nagturo sa akin nun eh,” Fajardo said. “Alam ko na gagawin niya yung mga moves pero naka-counter nya kasi dinadaan nya sa experience. Yung mga tinuro nya sa akin, yun din yung ginagawa ko.

“Privilege ko lang din na makakaro sya,” he added.

For his part, Ildefonso said that he is happy with the performance he had against his student in the game.

“Mahirap kalaban si June Mar pero masaya ako na maganda yung nilalaro nya,” he said. “Nahirapan lang ako kasi ang bigat eh. Marami na kong nabantayang malaking import at malaking Pilipino, pero si June Mar ang pinakamabigat, at may skills pa.”

Chris Ross, a former Meralco player, had 17 of his 18 points in the second half, which saw the Boosters jump ahead to a lead as big as 19, 89-70 in the 5:45 mark of the fourth, while Arwind Santos had 17 markers and five boards.

The big lead enabled Abanilla to rest Fajardo for the whole fourth quarter.

“We’re just happy that we stayed the course. We got guys coming in healthy. We were able to rest June Mar in the final minutes, and we had a lot of guys stepping up. We need support from all of the guys and the good thing in this game is that they delivered,” he said.

Alex Cabagnot had 14 points, five rebounds, and six assists, while Chris Lutz added 12.

“Ang sinabi lang namin, this is a very important game for us. Dapat maganda yung mindset namin, dapat may kumpyansa. At nag-deliver naman si June Mar. We had a conscious effort of giving him some touches. It’s a collective effort din from the rest of the guys,” Abanilla said.

Gary David top-scored for the Bolts with 18, while Ildefonso had a memorable first game against his former squad, finishing with a season-high 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and five blocks.

“Dapat yung teacher di magpatalo sa student,” Ildefonso said.

Jared Dillinger had 16 points, while John Wilson and Cliff Hodge combined for 26.

The loss placed Meralco on 5-9 slate, waiting for the result of the Barako Bull-Alaska game on Sunday to see what its fortune will be in the quarterfinals.

Marcio Lassiter missed the game for Petron, as the sharpshooter attended his grandmother’s funeral in the States.

The Scores:

PETRON BLAZE 96 – Fajardo 19, Ross 18, Santos 17, Cabagnot 14, Lutz 12, Kramer 6, Duncil 4, Tubid 2, Taha 2, Lanete 2.

MERALCO 87 – David 18, Ildefonso 17, Dillinger 16, Wilson 13, Hodge 13, Allado 5, Hugnatan 3, Artadi 2, Timberlake 0, Salvacion 0, Al-Hussaini 0.

Quarters: 15-15, 44-33, 70-56, 96-87.

*****

POSTSCRIPT: The following are quotes taken from separate interviews between June Mar Fajardo and Danny Ildefonso after the game. There were no post-game interactions between the two as June Mar immediately left the venue (seemingly teary-eyed), while Danny I was one of the lasts to go out of the Meralco dugout.

Danny I on his first court interaction with June Mar as opponents

Nagso-sorry eh. Sabi nya, [mimicking June Mar's big voice] "Idol, sorry!" Sabi ko, "mag-focus ka nga!" Sabi ko mag-focus siya, tsaka wag nya kong pagbibigyan. Sabi nya, [again mimicking June Mar's voice] "nakalusot ka nga eh." Sabi ko, mag-pokus ka lang sa game. Nakakahiya sa coaching staff niyo.

June Mar on Danny I's patented spin-move lay-up

Akala ko didiretso siya eh, pero moves niya yun. Siya ang nagturo sa akin nun eh. May isa nga ako nung first half, nag-spin ako pero na-anticipate niya. Alam niya yung move eh.

Danny I on his student doing his vintage moves

Naisahan nga ako sa baseline eh. Tinuro ko sa kanya (yung baseline spin), tapos nawala sa isip ko. Before the game, tinuturo ko pa sa mga big man dito. Tapos sa akin pa nangyari! Nainis lang ako na naisahan niya ako, pero masaya ako na maganda yung nilalaro nya at nakabalik na siya.

Danny I on June Mar's bid for the Best Player of the Conference

Makakahabol pa sya sa BPC. Kung ano naman ang success niya, masaya ako. Tsaka worth it sa kanya yun. Pinaghirapan niyang makarating dun kasi masipag yung bata.

June Mar on Danny I's future in the PBA

Kaya pa niya. Yung experience niya, andun eh. Sana makalaro pa siya ng ilang years pa.

Danny I on his first game against June Mar and Petron

Wala akong ano sa kanila. Sa akin, makapaglaro lang. Kahit paano eh answered player na (sa akin na) sana maganda rin yung laruin ko. Salamat kay God na kahit papaano, nakasabay sa estudyante ko. Part na dun yun kasi dapat yung teacher, di magpatalo. Pasalamat din na nangyari yun.

Pag may chance ulit, ayoko nang bantayan! Ang bigat eh! [laughs] Napapagod ako ng sobra. Sobrang bigat ni June Mar.

The demolition resumes for Danny I

Originally posted on the PBA website on January 6, 2014

Hours before the Saturday doubleheader commenced at the Mall of Asia Arena, two battle-tested brothers shared small talk before they waged war against different foes.

“Good luck and enjoy the game,” said Danny Seigle, now of Talk ‘N Text, to Danny Ildefonso, who made his season debut for Meralco.

Formerly sharing the same colors, the two now don different gears, far from the ones they wore during their heydays, when they won seven championships in 12 years together.

But the night was not about Seigle, or their partnership, or their past. The night was about Ildefonso, on his triumphant return to the hard court. This time, however, he’s not wearing the blue, red and white of Petron, or even the old red, black, and white of San Miguel, the franchise he stayed on for 15 years.

That night, Ildefonso wore the orange and white of Meralco.

Unwanted by the Boosters at season’s start, the two-time MVP had to wait for two months until he got back to a team’s roster, prolonging a wait that has spanned for almost a year after the Urdaneta, Pangasinan native recovered from a shoulder injury.

And on the fourth day of the new year, Ildefonso finally got his wish as he played his first game in a year.

“I just told him how happy and how excited I was for him,” Seigle said of his longtime teammate. “I know he’s going to be an asset for any team, so it’s great to see him back. I know he’ll do well.”

He did just that, as Ildefonso registered 14 points, six rebounds, and a team-high five assists in 29 minutes of play as the Bolts survived the pesky Air21 Express, 92-88, in overtime.

“What an incredible test again, but this time, we made sure that we’re going to come out on top,” said Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio after the game. “I’ve been praying so hard for an opportunity like this, and it’s just an incredible feeling that the guy who probably was left out at the start of the season was the one who helped us tremendously tonight, and that’s Danny Ildefonso.”

For his part, Ildefonso was surprised in the major role he played in the win, saying, “29 minutes? Parang yung 2000 season na playing time ko yun ah,” referring to the season he first won the Most Valuable Player award.

Though he was thought initially as somebody who would serve as a mentor to the younger bigs of the Bolts, Ildefonso was on the floor for majority of the Air21 game after coming off the bench late in the first quarter.

“Nagulat ako kasi akala ko, konti lang yung minutes na lalaruin ko eh. Sa practice, di ko pa masyado kabisado yung plays kaya minsan nanghuhula ako. Di ko expected na ganun lalaruin ko at ganun ang magiging playing time ko,” he said. “Pero God is good. Mabuti na lang, na-guide Niya ako.”

The game meant so much for Ildefonso that after the game, he had tears in his eyes as he made his way out of the court.

“Naiyak talaga ako sa tuwa,” he said, after his team got a scare from the Express courtesy of a flurry of three-pointers from Nino Canaleta at the end of regulation.

“Pinakaba pa kami. Pinahirapan pa talaga kami. Pero answered prayer ito kasi nagdadasal talaga ako during the game na ibigay na sa amin. Ang ganda na ng laro namin eh, na ituloy na yung biyaya sa akin,” he said.

Even Jong Uichico, his coach in the old San Miguel franchise who now serves as an assistant coach for the Bolts, was impressed with his long-time ward’s showing.

“Maganda yung pinakita nya. He played more minutes than what we intended to,” Uichico said. “He makes the game and the team more efficient. He makes the right decisions in the end game. Importante yun sa isang team, na merong ganun in the closing minutes and for the whole game.”

He added, “He played 29 minutes today, but we have to reserve him dun sa mga bakbakan na laro. He’s no longer a regular 30-minute player because of his age.

Pero maalaga naman sya sa katawan and he’s very disciplined kaya his age doesn’t affect his play too much.”

So integral was Ildefonso in that game that Uichico even said, “Kung wala sya sa game, baka natalo pa kami.”

As Ildefonso looked back on the roller coaster of a year that was, he is just thankful for the night he had, saying, “Na-surprise ako ni God eh. Hindi ko expected na ganun ang lalaruin ko. Basta’t yung mga bagay na di ko kayang kontrolin, Siya na ang bahala.”

He also said that the long layoff has taken a toll on him as he is still on the process of reacquainting himself to the physicality. But the new beginning also allowed the 6-foot-6 power forward to show what he can still do even at his age.

“Parang 1998 lang. Parang rookie ulit yung feeling,” he said.

“Gusto ko pa rin talaga maglaro eh. Hindi lang ako, gusto rin ng mga anak ko,” said Ildefonso, whose son Shaun plays with the Ateneo Blue Eaglets.

“Gusto kong maging role model sa mga anak ko. Yun yung gusto kong mangyari, na maalala nila yung mga ginagawa ko."

*****

POSTSCRIPT: This was one of the lengthiest articles I wrote for the website, not only because it was such an emotional night for a great player, but also because I am a San Miguel/Petron fan who grew up on seeing Danny I, Danny S, and my personal favorite Olsen Racela leading the franchise in the early 2000s. The image of Danny I on a different jersey is just indescribable. It feels so wrong, yet I am happy for him that even at his age, he got a chance to still show what he's got. I'm just out of words for this one. I hope my biases didn't show up.

Anyway, for that performance in his first game back, Ildefonso was hailed as the Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week. Keep raising the roof, Lakay!