NOT only just one, but two kabalens are eagerly awaiting Converge big man Justine Baltazar as he plays his first PBA game against the Magnolia Hotshots.
The season’s top rookie pick expects no red carpet welcome from Calvin Abueva and Ian Sangalang as the FiberXers and Hotshots battle each other out in one of the special presentations by the league when it celebrates its 50th founding anniversary on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
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The 5 p.m. tussle marks the first time Baltazar will go up against two of the best bigs to come out of Pampanga, which had been home to some of the country’s finest basketball players.
Yes, first time.
When the two teams met in the last Commissioner’s Cup in December, the 6-foot-8 De La Salle product was in the middle of MPBL Finals playing for the Pampanga Giant Lanters against the Quezon Huskers.
The FiberXers won that game, 93-91, on the heroics of Alec Stockton down the stretch, capping the team’s comeback from a 20-point deficit.
Baltazar wouldn’t suit up for Converge until 11 days later on Dec. 11 when Converge faced Northport.
“Last conference hindi ko sila nakalaban,” recalled the 28-year-old native of Mabalacat, Pampanga when asked by Spin.ph
“First time lang ito.”
Of course, Baltazar, Sangalang (Lubao, Pampanga) and Abueva (Angeles, Pampanga) are all proteges of Pampanga Governor Dennis ‘Delta’ Pineda, a current assistant coach at Converge.
And being the youngest among the three, Baltazar has so much respect to the two Magnolia veterans.
“Siguro magiging ready lang ako kasi yun ang mga kuya ko na mga Kapampangan. Magiging ready lang ako sa mga kuya ko,” he added.
Baltazar warmed up for the highly-anticipated showdown by grabbing 16 rebounds and finishing with nine points in the FiberXers’ 92-83 win over Phoenix Sunday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
It was the first win of the conference for Converge, which fell to Meralco in its debut game, 91-89.
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