ANTIPOLO – Arvin Tolentino captured his first-ever Best Player of the Conference award after being hailed as the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup’s top performer, Friday evening at the Ynares Center here.
The NorthPort main man took the tournament’s highest individual plum after starring in what had been a historic run for the franchise, where they clinched the no. 1 seed in the elimination round and eventually reached the semifinals.
Never have the Batang Pier finished the preliminaries on top of the standings until this meet and the 29-year-old himself showed the way with per-game averages of 23.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks.
(C) PBA Images
That included a rare triple-double against Terrafirma last November 30 in this same venue, finishing with a 21-13-10 line in their 113-101 victory
So impressive were his numbers that he placed second just behind June Mar Fajardo in the statistical points race by eliminations’ end with 39.9.
Being the top seed with a 9-3 record armed NorthPort with a win-once quarterfinal incentive, which they put into good use by beating Magnolia in a tight clash, 113-110. Tolentino himself co-starred in that triumph by dropping 25 points.
NorthPort, though, didn’t get the finish it dreamt of after absorbing a gentleman’s sweep at the hands of the more experienced Ginebra in the semis.
But there should be no denying that it was still a run to remember and Tolentino himself helped make it possible, eventually taking home the BPC plaque which he received in front of Kings fans who continue to adore him to this day.
The two-time Mythical Team member bested Fajardo, NLEX star Robert Bolick, Jordan Heading of Converge, and TNT’s Calvin Oftana for the plum, garnering a total of 1,072 points from stats and votes from the media and players.
(C) PBA Images
Meanwhile, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has now become a three-time Best Import after winning the crown for the second time in a row this season.
The former NBA veteran earned the nod for leading the Tropang Giga to their second consecutive Finals trip after a successful title defense bid in the season-opening Governors’ Cup just last November against the Kings.
He also won Best Import honors in that conference, making him just the third import in PBA history to win the award twice in the same season after Billy Ray Bates with Crispa in 1983 and Bobby Parks with Shell in 1990.
RHJ actually sat at no. 2 in the SPs among imports with 51.8 by the end of eliminations behind NLEX’s Mike Watkins, but grabbed the top spot as the semis wrapped up with 52.7 SPs after leading his side past Rain or Shine, 4-1.
Hollis-Jefferson entered the Finals with averages of 28.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.8 blocks as he upped the ante, especially during the semis when Jayson Castro went down with a season-ending knee injury.
The two-time league champion has been a major driving force behind TNT’s early 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series against Ginebra and the Tropang Giga will look to move one win away from the crown in Game 4 tonight.
Hollis-Jefferson took the title by beating rival Justin Brownlee, Kadeem Jack of NorthPort, and Rain or Shine’s Deon Thompson, winning it via big margin as he received 1,280 points from stats and votes from media and players.
