MANILA, Philippines – Arwind Santos did not play in the final quarter of Game One but it did not hardly matter as his teammates took care of the rest to fashion out a 100-84 rout of the San Mig Coffee Mixers in Game One of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals Friday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Santos, one of the leading Best Player of the Conference candidates, was just happy to see the team finally coming together for another run at the title they last won two seasons ago.
He was not bitter at all for not being fielded in that quarter as the team got the job done going full throttle with 41 points on eight triples in that furious finish.
He already had 16 points on efficient 8-of-12 shooting through three quarters when his teammates took off from where he left.
“Siyempre, una nanalo kami nagpapasalamat ako kay God,†said Santos not minding the fourth quarter benching deferring to his teammates, who played great in the endgame.
It was the vintage Santos, who’s been leading Petron quietly to another possible championship run.
“Yung huling panalo namin ng championship ang saya kasi yun rin ang una ko dito sa PBA,†said Santos, who is hoping to get his second ring this conference.
Curiously, Santos won the Best Player of the Conference award that year then led an undermanned Petron Blaze to the title denying Talk n Text Tropang Texters’ Grandslam bid in seven epic games.
Before tonight’s Game Two, the Best Player of the Conference will be awarded and Santos said he’ll be hypocrite if he says he’s not looking forward to that.
Santos (31.7 SPs) and Brgy. Ginebra's LA Tenorio (32.4 SPs) are in a neck-and-neck race for the award.
“Siyempre umaasa na makuha yung award kahit papaano. Kasama yan sa mga dasal ko pero ang number one priority ko ay ang manalo ng championship,†Santos told Philstar.com after the Game One win.
“Malayo pa eh. Naka-isa pa lang. So kailangang mag-focus kami ulit sa laro,†said Santos, who would rather want to set his eyes on a second PBA title than a second Best Player of the Conference award.