Slaughter on Christmas Day face-off with Fajardo: 'I won't be naughty or nice'

Ginebra rookie Greg Slaughter is quick to point out that the marquee Christmas Day game is more than just about him and Petron's June Mar Fajardo, his longtime rival in Cebu. Dante Peralta

DON'T expect Greg Slaughter to be on Santa's list after his Christmas Day face-off with longtime rival June Mar Fajardo.

The rookie swears he won't be naughty during the game; but he won't be nice, either.

“I'm not going to be naughty or nice but I'll just play my game,” Barangay Ginebra's top pick overall in the last PBA rookie draft said, five days before his highly anticipated showdown with his longtime Cebu rival.

“We will both play our game, we will both just play hard,” Slaughter added. “Sure, we're both going to go hard as we can to do what it takes to win.”

No Christmas Day showdown has drawn more interest than the Ginebra-Petron match, which, among many intriguing sub-plots, pits two of the most promising big men in Philippine basketball history.

Slaughter and Fajardo are actually no strangers to each other, their rivalry having taken roots years ago during their time at the Cesafi college basketball tournament in Cebu City.

The 6-11 Ginebra rookie, however, was quick to point out that the marquee Christmas Day game is more than just about him and Fajardo, who is having a sensational second season in the league with Petron.

Slaughter, in fact, said he is more worried about the wingmen of Petron led by Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz, who have made their mark this season, especially with Fajardo attracting a lot of attention down low.

 

“Petron is a very strong team, not just June Mar. Their wings are playing really good," said Slaughter, who nonetheless can expect a lot of help from Ginebra's own talent-laden lineup led by Japeth Aguilar.

Because of the game, Slaughter doesn't expect to spend a lot of time with family and friends in supposedly the happiest time of the year, but he doesn't mind.

So long as Ginebra gets the win.

“That's Christmas for me - to get a win on that day,” said the former Ateneo star.