Abueva’s first game was a great success

The long-awaited return of Phoenix Super LPG star Calvin Abueva on Monday night was a huge hit online.

Abueva’s first game since his 16-month suspension was lifted generated a maximum of 120,000 views during One Sports ‘Facebook livestream of Fuel Masters’ 114-110 victory over the NLEX Road Warriors.

At press time, the video that is still playable on the One Sports Facebook page has received nearly 750,000 views online.

Excitement and intrigue led basketball fans and occasional watchers to witness Abueva’s every move, who finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists to earn Best Player of the Game honors during the broadcast.

“I didn’t expect that. He just showed me and I felt the support,” Abueva said as he continued to express his gratitude to those who supported him throughout the process that led to his return.

The cancellation of the TNT-NorthPort game as a precautionary measure following a COVID-19 scare surrounding a Blackwater player who initially tested positive also paved the way for Abueva’s return to be shown in primetime.

Phoenix and NLEX were supposed to play at 4 p.m. followed by the TNT-NorthPort clash at 6:45 p.m., but the PBA’s decision to suspend the second game allowed TV5’s sports division to put the only game on the lucrative schedule. .

The online audience for Abueva’s return is somewhat rare, as the numbers are generally seen in some big games of crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, or the PBA Finals title win.

It was Abueva’s first PBA game since June 2019 when his clothesline at TNT import, Terrence Jones, prompted Commissioner Willie Marcial to slap him with an indefinite suspension.

Those who called for the league to finally lift its ban fulfilled their wish over the weekend, which subsequently generated huge online visits.