SMART CLARK GIGA CITY – It’s been exactly a month since defending Philippine Cup champion San Miguel Beer entered the PBA bubble.
Arwind Santos doesn’t mind staying for another month or even longer if that meant only one thing: the Beermen seriously contending for their sixth straight all-Filipino title.
“Kung ihahatid kami ng tadhana sa finals, kahit ingrown na lang ang natitira ikakapit namin yun, makapag-finals lang,” said Santos.
While Mo Tautuaa is the one leading the San Miguel charge in terms of scoring this conference, Santos’ leadership and experience are keeping together a Beermen team that is badly missing the services of six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, three-time scoring champ Terrence Romeo, and big guard Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, one of team's best perimeter defenders.
In six games so far, the 2013 MVP has churned out five double-doubles including a 17-point, 11-rebound job against Meralco in a rousing 89-82 come-from-behind win by the Beermen on Wednesday night.
Santos admitted he’s now slowly getting back into his playing rhythm after almost seven months of inactivity following the suspension of the season due to COVID-19 pandemic.
But what’s even more fulfilling, according to him, is the fact that he’s able to help the Beermen post Ws in the standings.
“Ang maganda rito nakukuha ko yung rhythm, nakakapag-double-double ako, pero maganda nananalo kami kasi pangit naman na nakukuha ko yung-double-double pero kulelat naman kami, ayoko naman ng ganun,” said the lanky forward.
“Di baleng hindi ako mag double-double, basta nananalo kami. So nagiging maganda ang epekto nito, double-double ako, nananalo kami, umaangat ang team, tapos maganda ang nilalaro nung core, nung mga veterans na kasama ko.”
The effort helped San Miguel gain ground inside the bubble, winning its last three games to move back in the upper half of the standings with a 4-2 card after losing its first two outings at the restart of the season.
And Santos could only get better even at the age of 39.
“Sabi ko nga challenge din sa akin yan. Hindi ko naman kasi iniisip so far yang edad-edad na yan. Ako iniisip ko yung kakayahan ko ngayon. Hindi naman tayo puwedeng mag-sinungaling sa sarili natin na pag bumabagal ka, mararamdaman natin yan. Pag medyo hindi mo na kaya, mararamdaman natin yan,” he said.
“Pero so far hindi ko pa naman nararamdaman yung epekto ng 39 years old, Nandoon pa rin tayo sa level ng 25 years old. Kasi ano lang naman yan kung paano mo aalagaan ang sarili mo, kung paano ka magpa-pakundisyon, kung paano mo ide-develop kung anumang bilis o skills meron ka.”
Here's the interview:
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