Here are the players who made the biggest impact on August 14 and the stats to prove it.
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
Cameron Clark CON PF 37 PTS | 12 REB | 3 BLK | 59.9 FPS
The new Converge import delivered a strong debut. Today, however, he stepped up his game further, putting together a superb two-way showing. Offensively, he started strong with 17 first-half points and exploded for 14 in the third quarter to help the team secure back-to-back wins.
Jordon Varnado MER PF 31 PTS | 6 REB | 3 STL | 54.2 FPS
The Meralco import showed exactly why he was worth the wait. After missing their first few games with a calf injury, he made his debut today and immediately delivered an elite offensive performance. He took over when it mattered most, pouring in 12 points in the final three minutes to propel his team to victory while filling up the stat sheet.
Christopher Elijah Newsome MER SG 18 PTS | 8 REB | 5 AST | 44.1 FPS
In the opening week of the conference, Newsome clearly struggled to find his touch from deep. Lately, however, he’s flipped the script, knocking down four triples in each of his last three games. He was equally impressive in other areas today, tying his conference-high in assists while leading the team in rebounds.
Deschon Winston NLX SG 17 PTS | 5 REB | 6 AST | 37.0 FPS
Facing his former team, the NLEX star showed up today. Offensively, he was a steady threat from deep, knocking down four 3-pointers while also adding a team-high in assists. However, he couldn’t finish strong, scoring just 3 points in the fourth quarter.
Juan Gerardo Gomez De Liaño CON PG 19 PTS | 6 REB | 8 AST | 35.2 FPS
Once again, Juan GDL came through with another signature performance, providing solid value on the boards while leading all players in assists. He was at his most impressive, however, on offense. He shot well from all levels and came up big with 10 fourth-quarter points to match his highest-scoring game of the conference.
Louelljay Gonzales NLX PG 23 PTS | 3 AST | 2 STL | 34.9 FPS
The rookie guard continues to shine. After posting a career-high performance against TNT, he kept it going today, firing from all levels to finish as the top local scorer of the day. He’s been particularly sharp over their last four games, going 20-for-31 from two-point range while turning the ball over just three times.
John Bryle Bahio NLX C 16 PTS | 12 REB | 1 BLK | 32.4 FPS
Offensively, the sophomore big man was a force against Converge. He was highly productive from two, converting 8-of-13 while adding five offensive rebounds. Over the last three outings, he has stepped up his game, putting up 15.7 points with 11.3 rebounds.
Justin Arana CON C 19 PTS | 9 REB | 2 AST | 31.8 FPS
The big man continues to produce at a high level on the offensive end. He particularly stood out in the fourth quarter today, pouring in 13 big points to power his team to the win. Through nine games this conference, he’s averaged 21.8 points per outing on 64.2% shooting from two.
Kier John Quinto MER SF 10 PTS | 5 REB | 3 STL | 29.5 FPS
The forward couldn’t get much going on the scoring end, converting just three of his 10 attempts from the field and one of five from deep. Yet he found plenty of ways to help, tying his conference-best rebounding mark while putting up elite defensive numbers.
Japeth Aguilar GIN C 12 PTS | 6 REB | 2 BLK | 24.7 FPS
The veteran was productive on both ends of the court. Offensively, he finished with his best scoring game of the conference. On the other end, he’s been dependable, making a positive impact today and ranking third in the league with 1.8 blocks per game.
Calvin Abueva CON PF 6 PTS | 13 REB | 1 BLK | 24.6 FPS
Offensively, the forward has been on a tear in their last two games, averaging 21.5 points while going 13-for-18 on two-pointers. While he couldn’t maintain that form today, he still made a massive impact, posting a game-high and conference-high in rebounds.
Rhon Jay Abarrientos GIN PG 21 PTS | 4 AST | 4 TO | 23.0 FPS
In terms of scoring, the reigning Best Player of the Conference was impressive today, shooting efficiently and leading all locals in scoring. Overall, however, it was a relatively quiet performance. He failed to make his usual impact in other areas while struggling again with turnovers, averaging 3.8 over his last four games.
Earl Scottie Thompson GIN SF 4 PTS | 6 REB | 5 AST | 19.7 FPS
Thompson made his return today after missing the opening weeks of the conference with a hamstring injury. While he struggled offensively, shooting just 1-for-6 from the field, he still had a productive game, making an impact across the board.
Brandon Matthew Bates MER C 6 PTS | 6 REB | 1 BLK | 16.2 FPS
The Meralco center has been a consistent force on the glass, averaging 8.1 rebounds through eight games this conference.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Michael Kurtiz Williams CON SG 4 PTS | 1 REB | 1 AST | 5.7 FPS
The former MVP was a non-factor today against NLEX. After an impressive start in the conference, he’s cooled off considerably, averaging five points in his last three games. His struggles from the three-point area have been especially troubling, converting just four of his 32 attempts across nine games.
