CALVIN Abueva still wanted to play even when Phoenix already had the game against NorthPort well under control in the PBA Governors Cup.
Coach Louie Alas refused to relent and instead, gave him a piece of advice.
“Sumakit yung tuhod niya so di ko na binunot nung fourth quarter, pero gusto pa ring maglaro,” said the Phoenix mentor after the team’s 132-91 demolition of the Batang Pier on Sunday.
“Sabi ko na lang may mas mabigat na game sa Wednesday. Doon mo ibuhos ang lahat.”
That big game of course, is against Alaska, which for the past six seasons had been home to the 30-year-old Abueva until a parting of ways during the season with the energetic power forward's trade to Phoenix for Karl Dehesa and a 2019 first round pick.
The meeting will be the first between Abueva and his former team since the stunning August 7 trade, which all the more adds interest to Wednesday’s 7:00 p.m. main game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Apart from it though, also at stake in the match is the outright solo lead as both the Aces and Fuel Masters currently share the top spot with identical 2-0 slates.
Alas, who was Alaska coach Alex Compton’s top deputy until he accepted the coaching job at Phoenix last season, knows defense has been the main staple of his former team ever since.
And for the Fuel Masters not to magnify the strength of Alaska, Alas said they must limit their turnovers.
“Problema namin the last two conferences is how to minimize our turnovers and Alaska is the best in forcing turnovers,” he noted. “So kung malimit namin yung turnovers namin, it would be a good game for us.”
Apart from Abueva, the Fuel Masters are also getting good numbers from import Eugene Phelps, who has so far averaged a whopping 40 points in the first two games of the team.
Like Abueva, Phelps still wanted to play against the Batang Pier despite already leading by a wide margin.
Alas didn’t relent as well, limiting his playing time to just 34 minutes.
He also gave Phelps the same piece of advice he gave to Abueva.
“Paglabas namin sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Just save your energy on Wednesday because Alaska is next for our team,’” said Alas.
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