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Former Phoenix head coach Louie Alas wasn’t really surprised to see Calvin Abueva triumph in a big PBA comeback Monday night.
“That was expected. That’s why it’s a game changer,” Alas said in Filipino in a text message Tuesday.
Playing in his first game in 512 days after the league lifted his suspension Sunday, Abueva showed no signs of rust and scored a full line of 21 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and one steal to power a Fuel Masters offense that scored a 114-110 win over NLEX in the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup.
Abueva fitted like a glove and seemed hardly out of place for Phoenix, who ranked fourth in points (95.8 per game) and second in assists (24.4) in the previous five games before coming back.
“It’s a system, and Calvin was practicing with them for almost 10 months, even if he was suspended. The chemistry is there,” Alas said.
With Abueva back on board, Alas sees a possible end for the team that prospered under his command over the past three years.
“There is a great chance that Phoenix can improve from last year’s semi-final appearance,” he said.
Under Alas, Phoenix achieved its best playoff finish in history with a second round appearance at the 2019 Philippines Cup. That streak was fueled by a seeded finish in the eliminations.
That experience, Alas said, went a long way toward boosting the game for Fuel Masters veterans.
“Individuals like (Matthew) Wright, (Jason) Perkins, (Justin) Chua, (RJ) Jazul and Abueva showed great improvement. The experience they gained in the Philippine Cup last year is something very important,” he said.
It also helps that Wright and Perkins are playing at such a high level. Wright leads the league in scoring with 25.5 points per game on 46 percent shooting, while Perkins is averaging a double-double of 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
“Wright is playing like an MVP and he’s showing a lot of maturity. Perkins’s performance is worthy of a Mythical Five pick,” he enthused.
Phoenix Super LPG (4-2) will seek its third consecutive victory when it faces Alaska on Thursday, October 29 at 4:00 p.m.
