Magnolia knows how tough it is going up against Calvin Abueva.
Just last season, the ‘Beast’ was one of the reasons behind the Hotshots’ early exit from the Clark PBA bubble play. He and Phoenix Super LPG gave them the boot in the quarterfinals, as they put their win-once incentive into good use.
But on Thursday evening, the team was thanking the very same person who gave them lots of problems in the past. His monstrous performance helped the storied ball club reach the 2021 Honda Philippine Cup semifinals.
Abueva turned in 20 points on 54.5-percent shooting from the field and a season-high 19 rebounds. And Magnolia beat Rain or Shine, 96-86, to complete a two-game sweep and return to the same stage for the first time since 2019.
Photo by PBA Images
“I’m very happy. Mahirap na kalaban si Calvin eh. Mas maganda nang kakampi mo siya kaysa kalaban mo siya, ‘di ba?” offered head coach Chito Victolero moments after the match at the DHVSU Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.
“Si Calvin, mas malaking tulong sa’min. Not only doon sa depensa, but also sa opensa – ‘yung nagagawa niyang hustle, ‘yung nagagawa niyang energy, ‘yung extra possessions. Mas maganda na ‘yung andito siya kaysa nasa ibang team.”
The Kapampangan cager has been a major factor for the Hotshots right off the bat. And his outing in the closeout victory was, indeed, further validation that the team made the right decision to trade Chris Banchero for him.
Victolero admitted that he actually felt worried early on about how Abueva would gel with his already-solid crew. But all of that went away when he saw how well the 33-year-old forward meshed with his new teammates.
“‘Yun lang naman ang worry ko before, na baka kulangin kami sa time for chemistry. But now, I think nakikita ko naman sa mga bata na they work hard together. They go to practice, they work hard, they prepare hard,” he said.
“And I think, unti-unti, dito sa bubble nabubuo namin ‘yung chemistry. Si Calvin, nakakasundo na niya halos lahat, nakikilala na niya halos lahat,” added the youthful mentor, who’s been with Magnolia since 2016.
It helped, too, that their system fits with Abueva’s style of play.
“Yung sistema kasi namin bagay na bagay sa kaniya. That’s why nung nakuha namin siya, hindi siya masyadong nahirapan mag-adjust. ‘Yun kasi ‘yung laro niya. And besides, ‘yun naman talaga ‘yung gusto ni Calvin,” Victolero said.
So as he fits in nicely, the champion bench tactician also sees the current BPC frontrunner as a missing piece to a puzzle. And he’s one who could get them over the hump, especially in the league’s most prestigious conference.
“He adds on the toughness eh – mental, physical. We haven’t had that toughness before. I think ‘yung team naman namin is laging nakikipag-compete. And medyo for the last two years, medyo kinakapos lang kami,” he said.
“We have back-to-back finals sa Philippine Cup. We won a championship sa Governors’ Cup. But, ‘yun nga, may parang may kulang na piyesa eh. And I think Calvin adds to the toughness.”
