Here are the players who made the biggest impact on July 31 and the stats to prove it.
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
KJ Buffen, MAG SF
31 PTS | 17 REB | 5 AST | 67.9 FPS
The Magnolia import delivered his best game of the conference, posting a complete stat line and pulling down a conference-high in rebounds. He also came through on the offensive end, pouring in 20 points in the first half and adding 11 more in the third to tie the game. However, his momentum ran out in the fourth quarter, where he was held scoreless.
Adrian Clarence Nocum, ROS SG
31 PTS | 9 REB | 2 STL | 49.8 FPS
Magnolia had no answer for the star guard in the opening quarters, as he dropped 8 in the first before pouring in 14 more in the second. Nocum then sealed the deal in the fourth, delivering four clutch points to lift his team to victory. It was an offensive masterclass for Nocum, who shot efficiently from all levels and recorded a game-high and career-high output.
Antonio Hester, MER PF
24 PTS | 18 REB | 1 STL | 48.1 FPS
Missing multiple key contributors against Ginebra, Meralco needed Hester to carry a much bigger offensive load. While he struggled to find his rhythm early, scoring just 9 points in the opening half, he turned things around with an 11-point third-quarter surge. Still, he had his least efficient scoring performance, shooting under 40% for the first time this conference.
Riley James Grigsby, GIN PF
25 PTS | 9 REB | 2 BLK | 47.3 FPS
The Ginebra forward put together a well-rounded performance while also finishing as the game’s second-leading scorer. Grigsby sparked the offense early with 12 points in the first half before taking over in the third with 12 more, though he went quiet down the stretch with just a single point in the fourth.
Rhon Jay Abarrientos, GIN PG
27 PTS | 3 REB | 3 AST | 35.1 FPS
This was the performance Ginebra was hoping for, and he finally delivered. The reigning Best Player of the Conference came out firing in the second quarter, scoring 14 points, and kept rolling to finish with a game-high and conference-high output.
Aaron Fuller, ROS SF
14 PTS | 12 REB | 2 STL | 32.4 FPS
Through his first four games of the conference, Fuller had been dominant, averaging 32.8 points while shooting an incredible 67% from the field. He couldn’t maintain that pace today, however, going 5-for-19 from the field with five turnovers.
Andy Mark Barroca, MAG PG
11 PTS | 8 AST | 2 STL | 31.8 FPS
For the first time since the previous conference, Barroca posted back-to-back double-digit scoring games. He also made a much bigger impact today, leading all players in assists and setting a new conference-best mark.
Luis Villegas, ROS C
12 PTS | 7 REB | 3 STL | 30.9 FPS
It was a breakout performance for the former No. 3 overall pick, who delivered a conference-high in points to complement season-highs in rebounds and steals. The only negative for him today was the three-point shooting, as he went just 1-for-6 from deep.
Zavier Lucero, MAG SF
15 PTS | 10 REB | 1 BLK | 28.0 FPS
The star forward looked unstoppable early against Rain or Shine, scoring 9 points in just the first five minutes. Although he wasn’t able to maintain that level the rest of the way, he still made a significant impact, recording his second consecutive 10-rebound game while providing solid defense.
Brandon Matthew Bates, MER C
8 PTS | 10 REB | 26.0 FPS
The center had been limited offensively over his previous two games, totaling just 4 points. With multiple key players unavailable today, he seized a bigger offensive role, going 4-for-6 from two-point range to record at least 8 points for the third time this conference while also grabbing double-digit rebounds for the sixth time this season.
Christopher Clark Banchero, MER PG
15 PTS | 3 REB | 5 AST | 23.1 FPS
From long range, Banchero struggled, converting just 1-of-6 attempts, but he made up for it on two-pointers, hitting 5-of-7 to finish as one of only two Meralco players with double-digit points. This was also his third 15-point outing in four games, after having only one such performance in the previous conference.
Paul John Lee, MAG SG
13 PTS | 3 REB | 1 STL | 17.6 FPS
The veteran guard provided a spark on offense, scoring 11 first-half points to match his season-high. He was also effective from deep, knocking down 2-of-5—a big improvement after going 0-for-5 in his previous two games.
Vince Petdeo Cuajao, ROS SG
15 PTS | 15.0 FPS
The rookie guard continues to prove his worth on the scoring end, finishing with another solid performance. He was sharp from long range, converting 3-of-4 from three and also adding a four-pointer—a big turnaround after going 2-for-9 over his last two games.
Ian Paul Sangalang, MAG C
14 PTS | 2 REB | 5 TO | 11.4 FPS
Sangalang continues to roll offensively, posting back-to-back games with at least 14 points. He’s been highly reliable in that span, shooting 13-of-16 from the field. Turnovers, however, have been a problem, as he is averaging 4 per contest over his last three games.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Caelan Todd Tiongson, ROS PF
6 PTS | 3 REB | 1 STL | 12.1 FPS
Tiongson had been stellar from three this conference, going 11-for-23 in his first four games. Today, however, he went completely cold, converting just 1-of-10 attempts.
