Abueva closing in on PBA BPC plum

MANILA, Philippines – Alaska Milk workhorse Calvin Abueva is now looking cinch to shed his tag always the bridesmaid never the bride in races for top PBA individual awards.

Abueva could well be the recipient of the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference award, being the only official candidate that has gone deep in the playoff phase of the mid-season tourney.

Abueva and his Alaska Milk teammates are set to slug it out Wednesday night with the Meralco Bolts for the right to play the Rain Shine Elasto Painters in the finale.

At the end of the Commissioner’s Cup Final Four, the former San Sebastian stalwart could end up the stats race winner.

Greg Slaughter (34.2) was slightly ahead of Abueva (33.1) through the quarterfinals with Terrence Romeo (33.0) coming in third, followed by Jayson Castro (29.8) and joint fifth placers Carlo Lastimosa (28.5) and Junmar Fajardo (28.5).

Slaughter failed to get Barangay Ginebra past the quarterfinals, Castro had the same case with Tropang TNT while Romeo and Lastimosa were out after the elimination round.

Fajardo, the Philippine Cup BPC winner, waged a chase in the stats race towards the end of the elims and in the quarters, but was thoroughly neutralized by ROS import Pierre Henderson-Niles in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Abueva has consistently been Alaska’s lead light all tournament long, stepping up all the more on the exit of Vic Manuel.

The 2014 FIBA World Cup veteran scored in double figures in all of their games except once during the elims. Going to Game Five of their semis playoff with Meralco, Abueva averaged 18.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals.

Since entering the PBA as the 2012 second draft selection behind Fajardo, Abueva has been a regular fixture in stats races, winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2013 and earning two Mythical Selection plums already.

 But never the Best Player of the Conference award.

Abueva, however, may well be at midcourt shortly before Game Four of the finals to finally receive a first BPC trophy.

Ticklish is the choice for the Best Import.

San Miguel’s Tyler Wilkerson should’ve been the hands-down choice if not for his termination in Game Three of the SMB-ROS Final Four faceoff.

The choices now are Meralco’s Arinze Onuaku, Rain or Shine’s Niles and Alaska’s Rob Dozier.

If Meralco is booted out, import subs Niles and Dozier will do the Last Dance.