For the seventh straight game, Vic Manuel has scored over 20 points. The Muscle Man fired 22 points on top of 11 rebounds to help steer the Alaska Aces past the NLEX Road Warriors, 120-111, Friday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“Every game ready lang talaga ako,” said the 30-year-old big man of his performance. “Kailangan lang talaga namin yung panalo kanina. Sobrang important ng laro. Yun lang. Continue ko lang lagi ginagawa ko every game.
“Kailangan ma-maintain ko yung ginagawa ko. Hindi dapat bababa eh. Ini-enjoy ko lang yung game ‘pag nasa loob ako ng court.”
After Friday, the 6-foot-4 power forward is now averaging 24.5 points and 6.13 rebounds. With the way he’s been playing, Manuel has a strong case in being crowned as the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup’s Best Player for the Conference.
Asked if this is now the best stretch of his career, Manuel believes so.
“Oo, siguro. Ito na siguro,’ said the six-year pro, whose personal streak started last April 29 in a win versus the Blackwater Elite. “Masasabi ko lang healthy kasi talaga ako ngayon. Nakakapaglaro ako ng maayos, Continue ko lang every game.”
Truly, Manuel has made the leap in this mid-season tilt. As per the veteran scribes who have been in the local hoops scene for so long, Manuel’s resurgence this year is reminscent to his rise from obscurity in the PBL back in 2010.
For Manuel, whatever he’s achieving in the league right now is all because of the tutelage of PBA all-time great Danny Ildefonso, who has joined the Aces back in the 2018 Philippine Cup as one of the team’s assistant coaches.
“Si coach Danny malaking bagay talaga sa akin pati na sa lahat ng big man sa team,” shared Manuel. “Sobrang sipag niya. Talagang extra workout kami everyday. Tinatiyaga niya talaga ako sa practice. Laro kami, extra shots ganun.
“Sabi niya lang, before and after ng practice gawin namin mga tinuro niya. So ayun ginagawa namin iyon. Malaking tulong sa akin pati sa buong team.”
And this continues the line of students the excelled under the tutelage of the two-time Most Valuable Player.
