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Sports: PBA - Best Player of the Week
January 31, 2008PBA: Best Player of the Week: January 21 to january 27
INDIVIDUAL accolades have come Willie Miller’s way before and again he is on track to snaring one.
But bagging such a distinction is farthest from his mind right now, busy as he is in helping Alaska win a second straight title through the Smart PBA Philippine Cup.
Still, people can’t help but notice, especially when he repeatedly comes up with a gem of a game, that’s why he’s being feted once anew as the PBA Press Corps’ Smart/Accel Player of the Week for the period January 21 to 27.
It was the second such citation for the 6-foot guard, having been so honored by the scribes regularly covering the beat for the period October 29 to November 4.
The award will also go a long way in realizing for the Olongapo native a third MVP award after last year and in 2002 since it is used as a criterion in voting for the conference’s Best Player and, ultimately, the MVP plum.
But, as is his wont, the southpaw player known as “The Thriller” would rather concentrate on the task at hand.
“Mas importante sa akin ang manalo ang team dahil mas marami kaming panalo kapag champion kami,” Miller said. “Tuloy, mas marami kaming masaya.”
The league’s highest individual awards can only act as spice, maintained the man who ran only second to Air21’s Arwind Santos in the BPC race after the 18-game eliminations.
“Kung sakali mang darating iyang Best Player of the Conference o MVP, darating iyan,” he stressed. The award is seemingly certain to head towards his direction after playing a key part in Alaska’s two-game sweep of Coca-Cola in the quarterfinals, where he averaged 25.5 points and 6.0 assists.
He further greased that award’s path by helping Alaska dominate Sta. Lucia Realty at the start of their best-of-seven semifinals showdown last Sunday.
Miller scattered 19 points on 6-of-11 field shooting and also had 10 assists, five rebounds, a steal and a block in the Aces’ 107-94 victory.
Admittedly, Miller’s backcourt mates, Mike Cortez and Jeffrey Cariaso, also lent a big hand in the victory but his all-around contributions could simply not be discounted, nor forgotten.
“Anything for the team,” shrugs the former Letran stalwart, the only guard in PBA history to have won MVP honors more than once. (NCo)
Source: www.pba.ph
