Calvin Abueva, Mikey Williams, Robert Bolick in tight BPC battle

Calvin Abueva is slightly ahead in the BPC race. PBA Images (file photo)
By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--Calvin Abueva, Mikey Williams, and Robert Bolick are neck-and-neck in the race for the PBA Philippine Cup's Best Player of the Conference award.

In an update of the statistical points up to the end of the elimination round, a copy of which was obtained by Dugout Philippines on Sunday, Abueva, Williams, and Bolick are just decimals apart in the BPC running.

Abueva, Magnolia's newly acquired swingman, is ahead of the pack with an average of 35.36 SPs a game.

Williams, TNT's super rookie, is second with 35.3, while Bolick, the returning NorthPort combo guard, is third with 35.27.

Abueva and Bolick played the full 11 games of the elimination round, while Williams missed the Tropang Giga's season opener.

The Batang Pier's high-flying freshman winger Jamie Malonzo is fourth with 31.5 SPs, while Abueva's fellow Pinatubo Trio partner Ian Sangalang is fifth with 31.3.

San Miguel's CJ Perez, despite being relegated to the super-sub role, is sixth in the BPC race with 30.7, while Rain Or Shine's Javee Mocon is seventh with 30.1.

Rounding the Top 10 are Beerman Arwind Santos (eighth with 29.6 SPs), Phoenix Fuel Master Jason Perkins (ninth with 29.4), and Barangay Ginebra's Scottie Thompson (10th with 29.3).

Stanley Pringle, the reigning BPC, is way outside the Top 10, ranking 14th with 28.3 SPs.

Meanwhile, the Rookie of the Year battle might likely boil down between Williams and Malonzo as the next best newcomer in the SP race is Meralco's Alvin Pasaol, who is 40th overall with 20.6 SPs.

NLEX's Calvin Oftana, who broke Allan Caidic's longtime PBA record for the most threes by a rookie, is fourth among the young guns with 19.1, while ROS's Santi Santillan rounds up the Top 5 in the ROY race with 15.6.

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