MANILA, Philippines — Titan Ultra’s veteran Calvin Abueva is aging like fine wine in the PBA Season 50.
Despite being ranged against younger and bigger defenders, the 37-year-old forward nicknamed the “Beast” showed that he can still bang and dominate.
The former PBA Rookie of the Year led the Philippine Cup at the end of eliminations, serving as the go-to-guy for Titan Ultra right in its first conference in the pro league.
Abueva averaged 23.6 points in 10 games, including a PBA career-high 41 points in the Giant Risers’ 100-96 victory against the Meralco Bolts to mark the new franchise’s league debut.
Remarkably enough, the 6-foot-2 Abueva was also a dominant inside force after finishing third in rebounds with 11.9 boards per contest en route to a double-double average for the season-opening conference.
Interestingly, the top rookie pick in the 2020 PBA Draft, Joshua Munzon placed third in scoring for the conference, as he served as Titan Ultra’s second scoring punch.
The Filipino-American guard averaged 21.6 points in 11 contests, helping the Giant Risers finish the elims with a 4-7 record.
Titan Ultra’s playoff chances were actually alive just a week before the close of the elimination round following its 127-119 win against Phoenix for its fourth win in 10 starts.
But with Barangay Ginebra eking out a 102-100 win against Rain or Shine in Bahrain for its sixth win in the tournament, Titan Ultra saw its playoff chances vanish in thin air. The Giant Risers tried to get a winning exit when they faced the Gin Kings in the final playdate of the elims last Sunday.
But Ginebra pulled off a comeback from a double-digit deficit en route to a 108-105 triumph.
Titan Ultra hopes the 1-2 scoring punch of Abueva and Munzon could stay healthy as the team tries to improve on its Philippine Cup showing by reachingthe playoffs in the next two import-spiced conferences.
Finishing second in scoring behind Abueva in Blackwater guard RK Ilagan with 22.0 points, though the spitfire playmaker lasted just two games due to a hamstring injury.
Rounding out the top 10 scorers for the conference are Gomez De Liano (19.3), Blackwater’s Fil-Am guard Sedric Barefield (19.2), Meralco sophomore wingman CJ Cansino (19.1), San Miguel Beer star (19.09), Jason Perkins of Phoenix (19.3), and TNT gunner Calvin Oftana (16.9).
Meanwhile, nine-time league Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo emerged as the league’s top rebounder, this despite having to deal with Converge’s young frontline of Justine Baltazar who placed second(13.8), while Justin Arana is at fourth (10.1).
NLEX crack guard Robert Bolick, fresh from winning the Southeast Asian Games gold, tops the tournament in assists in the elimination round with 8.5 dimes per contest, with Converge rookie Juan Gomez De Liano not far behind with 7.6.
Emerging as the top shot blocker for the conference is Magnolia’s fast-rising big man Zavier Lucero with 2.1 swats per contest.
