Bolick is PBA scoring champ; Fajardo earns Order of Merit

NLEX’s Robert Bolick (8) and San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo (15) will both be honored in the PBA Press Corps Annual Awards. PBA ImagesMANILA — Robert Bolick and June Mar Fajardo will be honored for their feats in the previous season when the PBA Press Corps holds its 30th awards night on September 24 at the Novotel Manila Araneta City.

Bolick, the prolific NLEX shooting guard, will be hailed as the Season 48 Scoring Champion while Fajardo will receive the Order of Merit.

Meanwhile, Game 6 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals between San Miguel and Meralco has been tabbed as the Game of the Season.

Bolick averaged 25.3 points per game, leading the league in scoring in his first season with the Road Warriors. This was the highest among locals in the last 11 seasons, since Gary David put up 25.8 points per game for Powerade during the 2011-12 season.

Fajardo, for his part, receives his third Order of Merit honor from the group that regularly covers the PBA beat after previously being cited for the award in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

The San Miguel big man twice emerged as recipient of the PBAPC-Pilipinas Live Player of the Week honor in a tie with Arvin Tolentino of Northport and Jason Perkins of Phoenix.

But Fajardo’s citations came at the most crucial stretch of San Miguel’s campaign during the week of the Commissioner’s Cup semifinals (Jan. 24-28) and the Philippine Cup playoffs (May 15-19), respectively, allowing him to edge out Perkins and Tolentino for the honor.

The eight-time Most Valuable Player also figured prominently in the Game of the Season, wherein Fajardo exchanged clutch baskets with Chris Newsome in the closing seconds of Game 6.

Fajardo sank a surprising three-pointer off a broken play for a 78-all tie with 3.3 seconds left, as the Beermen erased a 17-point deficit against the Bolts.

But Newsome buried a jumper at the buzzer, giving Meralco its first title in franchise history after a series of Finals heartbreaks.