Calvin Abueva wins first Best Player of the Conference award

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Alaska Aces star Calvin Abueva was honored as the Best Player of the Conference for the 2016 PBA Commissioner’s Cup prior to Game 4 of his team’s best-of-7 finals against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Friday, May 13, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Abueva, 28, won the award for the first time in his 4-year career, adding to an already impressive resume that includes a PBA championship (2013), Rookie of the Year award (2013), and Mythical First Team (2013), Mythical Second Team (2015) and All-Defensive Team (2015) selections.

Abueva won with a total of 1,150 points – 413 from stats, 493 from media, 94 from players, and 150 from the PBA.

Ginebra’s Greg Slaughter (752) came in second while GlobalPort’s Terrence Romeo (488), Tropang TNT’s Jayson Castro (482), and Blackwater’s Carlo Lastimosa (378) were third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.

Abueva, a native of Angeles City, Pampanga, had career-best conference averages in the Commissioner’s Cup elimination round by posting 18.1 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.9 steals a game while shooting 46% from the field and 43% from downtown, per pba-online.net.

The Aces star also helped lead his team to a fourth finals appearance in the last 6 conferences. Alaska entered Friday’s game against Rain or Shine trailing the series, 0-3.

An individual award was also handed to Meralco Bolts big man Arinze Onuaku who was named the Best Import of the Conference on Friday.

The 28-year-old from Lanham, Maryland averaged 20.1 points, 18.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists a game for Meralco in the elimination round, leading the team to an 8-3 record and the second seed entering the playoffs.

After leading the Bolts past the NLEX Road Warriors in the quarterfinals, Onuaku averaged 16 points and 16 rebounds a game in the semis where Meralco fell to Alaska in 5 games. 

Onuaku amassed 1,132 points, finishing ahead of Rain or Shine’s Pierre Henderson-Niles (871), Alaska’s Rob Dozier (692), and San Miguel’s AZ Reid (555). – Rappler.com