THERE is something about Henry 'Bill' Walker that Calvin Abueva really likes.
Perhaps he sees a bit of himself in the Alaska import.
The flamboyant Alaska sophomore was all praises for Walker, saying the NBA veterans' aggressiveness and versatility is rubbing off on his teammates and, consequently, making the entire team better in the PBA Governors Cup.
“Ang dami niyang (Walker) posisyon na puwedeng laruin," the former San Sebastian star said with a smile. "Labas or loob, kaya ang ganda ng kombinasyon namin pag nasa loob kami.”
Walker, the 47th pick overall of the Washington Wizards in the 2008 NBA Draft who also had stints with the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks, came close to a triple-double in his debut with 27 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists in a 94-87 win over San Miguel Beer.
More importantly, he was bundle of energy on the floor while keeping his notorious temper in check - something he shares with the equally temperamental Abueva.
Abueva, however, said there was no doubt that Walker's relentless energy made his teammates better.
The former Rookie of the Year, for one, scored eight of his 12 points in the fourth period and had seven offensive rebounds, including two in the final three minutes that helped the Aces pull away in the end.
Sonny Thoss opened the conference with 18 points and 12 rebounds while hounding San Miguel slotman June Mar Fajardo during his 40-minute exposure on the floor.
On the other hand, Gabby Espinas, another bruising Alaska big man, contributed 10 points and six boards.
“Iyung last two quarterfinals kasi namin, nasisilat kami lagi. So ngayon, yung import namin agresibo,” said Abueva. "Kaya naipapakita namin ang hustle play at pagiging agressive saka gumaganda naman laro namin."
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