Aces feed off energy from bruise brothers Abueva and Manuel
Calvin Abueva (left) and Vic Manuel. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
The PBA has seen its fair share of 1-2 punches in its illustrious history, And just this conference, fans have seen a rise in a number of these combos.
There is the deadly GlobalPort backcourt of Stanley Pringle and Terrence Romeo, the famed Ginebra frontline of Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar, the young TNT twin towers in rookies Mo Tautuaa and Troy Rosario, and of course the Extra Rice Inc. of Rain or Shine in Beau Belga and JR Quiñahan.
READ: Abueva, Manuel lift Alaska to outright semis playoff
A gritty duo, meanwhile, is emerging from the Alaska side and it’s no surprise the two are leading the Aces’ attack so far.
Calvin Abueva and Vic Manuel may not be getting as much share of the limelight as tandem, but these tried-and-tested bruise brothers are happy to work in the shadows as long as Alaska is getting the wins.
“Kung ikukumpara sa iba tulad ni Terrence at Stanley, magaling sila mag-dribble at mag-shoot. Ang sa amin, iba yung hardworker sa loob. Nandoon yung offensive rebounding, opensa, depensa, lahat na,” said the Abueva.
Manuel, meanwhile, said that it’s fulfilling their roles as the energy guys for the Aces that has allowed both of them to prosper this 2016 Smart Bro PBA Philippine Cup.
READ: Alaska snaps San Miguel’s 7-game streak, closes in on outright semis berth
“Kami, laro lang kami sa loob. Pag magkasabay kami, di pwedeng mawala yung energy namin,” he said.
The Nueva Ecija native also noted that the two of them are the ones counted on to ignite the energy for the Aces.
“Nagsisimula yun sa amin at kailangan namin i-maintain yun. Dun nabubuhay yung energy ng team.”
That infectious drive was in display in Alaska’s 108-100 victory against Barako Bull on Sunday, with the two carrying the fight for the Aces.
Abueva poured a double-double of 21 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists, while Manuel got 21 markers and seven boards in the win, assuring Alaska of a playoff for the outright semifinals berth.
As the Aces make their return to the All-Filipino Cup, it is expected that Abueva and Manuel would be at the forefront of the attack.
Fortunately for Aces, their bruise brothers are happy to co-exist with one another.
“Masaya akong magkakampi kami,” said Abueva.
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
