By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter
TNT Tropang Giga gunner Roger Pogoy and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters rookie Adrian Wong were early individual award winners in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)tournament currently ongoing.
Four-year veteran Pogoy was adjudged the PBA player of the week for the period covering Oct. 11 to 18 while Mr. Wong, the fifth rookie pick in last year’s draft, was named rookie of the week by the PBA press corps.
Cebu native Pogoy, 28, had his guns blazing on reopening week, averaging 23.7 points, boosted by a 44% shooting clip from beyond the arc.
He also normed seven rebounds, two steals and 1.3 assists in their first three games where they went unscathed.
The former Far Eastern University standout got his PBA Philippine Cup campaign to an explosive start, tallying 45 points — going 10-of-17 from three-point land — in their 100-95 tournament debut victory over the Alaska Aces on Oct. 11.
He has remained steady despite hurting his ankle in their third game against the defending champions San Miguel Beermen last Friday. Mr. Pogoy finished with 30 markers in their game against the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters on Monday for the Tropang Giga’s fourth straight win.
“I did not expect to be playing this good right away, but it is great to see that my efforts to stay in shape during the lockdown are paying off,” said Mr. Pogoy in Filipino, taking note of the long break the league had because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m happy with my performance so far, and even better, we are winning. But it’s too early to celebrate because there is a long way to go in the tournament,” he added.
In winning the award, Mr. Pogoy beat out teammate Ray Parks Jr. and Phoenix’s Matthew Wright.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wong, a champion player from Ateneo in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, had a breakthrough game in the Elasto Painters’ last outing on Oct. 18 against the Northport Batang Pier.
The ROS rookie, one of four in the team, finished with 15 points, two rebounds and two assists in their hard-earned 70-68 victory over the Batang Pier, earning him player of the game honors, and eventually clinched for him the weekly individual plum.
Prior to his 15-point explosion, Mr. Wong was just averaging 1.5 points.
Rain or Shine is just one of three teams left still without a loss in the PBA tournament “bubble” happening in Clark City in Angeles, Pampanga.
Meanwhile, PBA games at the Angeles University Foundation Gym on Thursday will have TNT (4-0) going up against the Blackwater Elite (2-2) at 4 p.m. while Rain or Shine (3-0) battles the Alaska Aces (2-2) at 6:45 p.m.
