Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Taulava earns Player of the Week honors
MANILA - Having an Asi Taulava showing the way for his teammates is a Coca-Cola luxury other teams are definitely envious of.
Not even an injury could hobble the 6-foot-9 former MVP as he anchored the Tigers to a morale-boosting win last Sunday, in the process earning the KFC/Accel- PBA Press Corps’ Co-Players of the Week for the period Oct. 20 to 26.
The 35-year-old center scored 30 points on 11-of-14 field shooting and also had seven rebounds in a 112-96 victory over Rain or Shine that checked the Tigers’ two-game slide and gifted interim head tactician Kenneth Duremdes his first- ever coaching win.
“We ran our plays through Asi a lot because he creates mismatches inside,” beamed Duremdes after the game. “Buti na lang nag-deliver.”
Those points were the most by any player this season and Taulava’s best performance in the last three conferences.
To think he was not even expected to suit up due to a right calf injury he suffered in an 82-83 loss to defending champion Sta. Lucia Realty last Wednesday, the day Duremdes first assumed his new role.
Accident
The injury was brought by an accidental knee by teammate Ronjay Buenafe, who got entangled with Taulava during a back screen play by the Realtors’ Joseph Yeo in the last 33.4 seconds of the game, freeing up Dennis Espino for an easy twinner and the marginal point.
“Badly bruised talaga ‘yung binti niya kaya akala namin hindi talaga makakalaro,” said Duremdes. “Hindi nga siya nag-practice for three days. Mabuti na lang naka-recover agad.”
That game saw Taulava finish with 24 points, 15 rebounds, two assists and a steal and he was determined to not let his efforts go to waste against Rain or Shine.
Steady assault
Usually ranged against a lighter Jay-R Reyes, Taulava already had 16 points at the half and added another six in the third quarter which the Tigers barely took, 78-76.
The likes of Alex Cabagnot and John Arigo then combined to pull Coke away from an 80-79 count before Taulava finished off the job, presiding over a steady assault that had them posting an insurmountable 108-85 margin, only 2:42 to go.
The win jacked Coke’s win-loss record to 2-4 and Duremdes knows his team still faces the prospects of going through the wringer just to make the playoffs.
With Taulava showing the way, the Tigers’ collective task seems a very doable one. (PBA Media Bureau)
