SMART CLARK GIGA CITY — Over a year has passed and yet the animosity, apparently, remains as vehement.
And it has fans looking forward to the meeting between Calvin Abueva and Ray Parks when Phoenix Super LPG and TNT begin their 2020 PBA Philippine Cup semifinal battle, Wednesday.
Game time is at 3:45 PM.
The no. 2 and no. 3 teams open the double-header affair that will also feature Barangay Ginebra and Meralco at 6:30.
It will be the first meeting between Abueva and Parks since May 31, 2019. Abueva got into a spat with the latter’s girlfriend late in Phoenix’s match versus Blackwater, where Parks was still playing at the time.
The two never played against each other after that. The enigmatic forward was suspended by the league indefinitely after another controversial incident, wherein he gave TNT import Terrence Jones a clothesline hit.
Abueva was reinstated last October after 16 months of banishment. He even claimed in an online interview that he had apologized already to Parks for his actions last year upon a chance meeting in the bubble.
The young guard, however, denied through an Instagram story and a Tweet — both of which he has since deleted — the words he allegedly told the eight-year pro out of San Sebastian.
The 32-year-old, though, declined to comment any further regarding the matter. Instead, he prefers to focus on his career and on helping the Fuel Masters go deeper in this postseason that will yield a new all-Filipino champion.
Abueva has been a game-changer for Phoenix in the bubble since returning to the fold — 13.67 points, 10.67 rebounds, and 6.67 assists per game. And he’s undoubtedly one of the reasons why they have been making surprises this conference.
Still, Coach Topex Robinson has said that Abueva is just a piece in this puzzle. And that holds true as the Fuel Masters have also been receiving contributions from Jason Perkins, Justin Chua, and RJ Jazul.
And of course, there’s Matthew Wright, who’s been truly impressive this season. He has even emerged as the statistical leader at eliminations’ end with norms of 22.82 points and 6.0 assists per contest — making him a favorite to win top individual honors, if the league hands out one.
The Fil-Canadian sniper lifted Phoenix to its second straight Philippine Cup semis when he hit that wild triple to oust Magnolia in the quarters. There, he had 32 points, nine assists, and five rebounds.
The Fuel Masters have become a team to watch out for in this semis. Robinson, moreover, isn’t shy to admit that they plan to stay in the bubble until December. But it isn’t lost on them that they have to get through the Tropang GIGA.
Even prior to the season restart, fans and press have spoken highly of the flagship MVP Group franchise given their solid starting five that features Parks, Jayson Castro, Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario, and Poy Erram.
And they showed it early in the season by racking up five straight victories. TNT eventually ended as the third seed, giving them a win-once incentive. They used it wisely, thrashing Alaska in the quarters.
Pogoy and Parks have been the solid 1-2 punch of the Tropa. The two are in the Top 10 scorers of the tourney with norms of 18.82 and 20.10 points per game, respectively.
It will also be interesting to see how Erram — who is averaging 12.45 points and 8.45 rebounds — would fare in the first-ever semifinal trip of his pro career.
Lastly, fans will be waiting to see if Castro will play longer minutes this series, following a nagging calf injury.
