CHRISTIAN JAYMARK “CJ” PEREZ believes San Miguel Beer would regain its invincibility in time in the Philippine Basketball Association Season 46 Philippine Cup.
Although the Beermen lost to the Meralco Bolts, 87-93, on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Pasig City, the 2018 Rookie of the Year and scoring leader in the 2020 bubble season said the team would unleash its championship experience in the following games.
“It’s just our first game, and everybody is still struggling but I believe in the next game we can bounce back and do better,” Perez told BusinessMirror on Monday after getting his RT-PCR test at the San Miguel Corp. headquarters in Mandaluyong City.
“The championship experience of the team will soon come out,” he said.
Perez debuted in a Beerman uniform with 17 points, six rebounds, two steals and one block against the Bolts. He was acquired from Terrafirma for Matt Rosser-Ganuelas, Gelo Alolino and Russel Escoto plus two future first round picks.
Perez said he is in top shape.
“I am good in terms of my conditioning,” Perez said.
San Miguel Beer head coach Leo Austria, meanwhile, remained optimistic despite the defeat that greeted the return of six-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo.
“I think June Mar will play his usual self soon. He struggled because he didn’t play basketball for the last 18 months,” Austria said.
Fajardo went down with a leg injury that put him out since February 2020.
Austria also said he was relieved that Terrence Romeo didn’t suffer a major injury in his left knee when he crashed late in the game on Sunday.
“We still don’t know yet when he’ll be returning, but he told me the injury is not serious,” Austria said adding Romeo’s MRI was negative of any torn ligament.
Austria said 36-year-old playmaker Chris Ross also went down with a right ankle injury but nothing’s serious.