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Alex Cabagnot wins his first PBA Finals MVP award and shares it with his coach Leo Austria.
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By Patrick Sutare
QUEZON CITY--Alex Cabagnot achieved something a local player had never done in 12 years, and he was not aware of it until he was handed the Finals MVP award in San Miguel's title clinching victory against TNT in Game Six of the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals on Sunday night.
[Related Story: San Miguel clinches Comm's Cup over TNT, wins back-to-back titles]
The 34-year old veteran guard notched a triple-double in the said game, tallying 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists to cap an all but top-notch performance in the series where he averaged 20.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.3 steals.
With the affair's outcome somehow beyond question to start the fourth quarter of the match, Cabagnot bared that posting a triple-double was something he could not care less.
"No, no. Not at all," the prized guard said after being asked if he purposely went for the rare feat last achieved by Willie Miller in 2005 as the local player who reached a triple-double in a Finals game.
"I've been really working on trying to help the team get second chance points and get rebounds. I know that's not a glamour pero that's something I wanted to do," he added.
With 4:05 left and the Beermen comfortably ahead, 103-80, Cabagnot collared his 11th board of the game, raised his right hand in elation before giving his backcourt partner Chris Ross a brotherly clasp--the same person who edged him out in the Best Player of the Conference race--and shared a smile as they crossed the timeline.
After all, he remains an ultimate team-player that he deflected his very first Finals MVP award to his team and fans.
"I think the Finals MVP is given by the people. I think ang maipangako ko lang sa sarili ko is to just play consistently the whole conference from beginning to end," he said.
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