BACOLOD – CJ Perez doesn’t mind not being named MVP of this year’s PBA All-Star game.
The San Miguel Beer star deferred to Robert Bolick as deserving of the award which he shared with Japeth Aguilar at the conclusion of the mid-season extravaganza Sunday night which ended up tied, 140-140, between Team Japeth and Team Mark.
“Si Bert deserved it naman. Kung hindi niya na-shoot yun, hindi rin naman kami tatabla,” said Perez afterwards.
With Team Mark trailing, 140-135, Bolick hit from the four-point line and made the shot with a foul to boot from Calvin Oftana with 17.8 seconds left in the game played before a huge crowd at the University of St. La Salle gymnasium.
The NLEX star then hit the bonus free throw to knot the count.
Oftana later missed a potential game-winning basket at the buzzer for Team Japeth, paving the way for the first draw in All-Star history since the 2017 edition in Cagayan De Oro between Gilas Pilipinas and the PBA All-Stars (114-all).
Bolick finished with 13 points, 10 of them coming in the final quarter including two from the four-point line.
But it was Perez who topscored for Team Mark with 39 points, 28 of which he scored in the second quarter as he guided his side back from as much as a 31-point deficit and made the game close in the second half.
The effort naturally gave the former NCAA MVP making a strong case for the MVP award, too.
Perez however, wouldn’t have none of it.
“Wala naman sa akin yun. All-Star ito, so kahit sino puwedeng mag-MVP. Yun ang desisyon and ganun talaga yun,” said Perez.
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