ANTIPOLO CITY – Playing with the best in the PBA in the national team pool is doing Arvin Tolentino's game a world of good.
The young stretch 4 recorded a new career-high on Saturday, scoring a game-high 31 points in rallying NorthPort past hardluck Terrafirma, 91-85, in the Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Center.
See: NorthPort's late fightback prevents Terrafirma from ending long slump
Tolentino was 9-of-16 from the floor, including 5-of-10 from three-point range. He scored 11 of his output in the fourth quarter when the Batang Pier finally got their act together after trailing by as many as 15 points.
He was also 8-of-9 from the foul line, the last two coming in the final 58 seconds that gave the Batang Pier an 87-83 lead.
It was the third time Tolentino broke his PBA career high this conference since being traded to NorthPort from Barangay Ginebra as part of the Jamie Malonzo deal.
Aside from the confidence being given him by coach Pido Jarencio, the big man out of Far Eastern University credited his improved game to the time he spent practicing with the Philippine men’s basketball team.
“Advantage sa akin kasi extra practice yun, extra improvement,” said Tolentino, a member of Gilas Pilipinas pool for the past two windows of the Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers. “I was there to grab the opportunity to play against the best players in the PBA, and extra practice to improve my game.”
Tolentino diligently attended the Gilas scrimmages for the ongoing November window even though he was aware there was no chance of him being named to the 12-man roster since the schedule of NorthPort in the mid-season conference won’t allow it.
“I wasn’t really expecting pero I just want to be there para makatulong sa mga players and extra body na rin kasi hindi naman lahat available,” he said. “And nagkataon naman na puwede ako palagi.”
As proof of his commitment to the training pool, Tolentino was present the entire time the national team practiced at the Meralco gym in preparation for the fifth window except for one time.
“I was there the whole preparation. I think once lang ako (naka-miss),” added Tolentino, who was even present the last time Gilas practiced together before departing for the Middle East last Monday.
Tolentino though, failed to watch the national team’s game against Jordan early Friday as he had to go to bed early since the Batang Pier had an early morning training schedule for their game against the Dyip.
Nonetheless, he was very happy with Gilas’ 74-66 drubbing of Jordan in Amman to deal the host country its first loss at home in the last three years.
“They’re still my teammates. So suporta pa rin ako sa kanila all the way,” he said.
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