Cortez, PBA Player of the Week

Ang isang hilera ng upuan sa interview table sa loob ng press room ay nakareserba para sa winning coach at top players ng winning team pagkatapos ng game.

Sa apat na laro ng Alaska sa kasalukuyang PBA Samsung All-Filipino Cup, naging regular na guest si Mike Cortez sa special seats.

Laban sa Ginebra, humakot si Cortez ng career-high na 21-puntos upang makabawi sa kanyang hirap na performance sa unang dalawang games.

"He was pretty aggressive in the past few practices offensively and it showed in the game," ani coach Tim Cone.

"I’m slowly learning the basics of the Triangle Offense. There are a lot of things I don’t know but I’m learning everyday," sabi naman ni Cortez ang top pick overall sa taong ito.

"Mike is getting better and better every game and he’s starting to get comfortable out there," sabi pa ni Cone.

Sa nakaraang laban kontra sa Shell, umiskor naman ng 11 puntos sa second half para sa kanyang 15-point performance na naghatid sa Aces sa 85-80 panalo.

Ipinakita ni Cortez ang kanyang all around skill sa pagtatala ng five rebounds, six assists, three steals at two blocks.

Tinapos niya ang linggong March 3 to 9 bilang No. 2 sa assists (5.8), No. 6 sa steals, (1.5) at No. 10 sa blocks (1.0 para piliing Player of the Week.

Ngunit hindi pa kuntento si Cortez sa kanyang laro.

"What I’ve learned so far are just the basics. There are still a hundred things to understand as far as the Triangle Offense is concerned. I’m just glad the veterans of the team, guys like John Arigo, Don Allado and Ali Peek, are helping me to adjust," wika ni Cortez. (Ulat ni CVOchoa)