Calvin Abueva’s career night that gave Titan Ultra a winning start to its PBA campaign was quite remarkable, given his age.
Turns out, Abueva’s 41-point performance in Wednesday’s 100-96 win over Meralco at Ynares Center in Antipolo City made him the second-oldest player to score at least 40 in a PBA game. PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon said the 37-year-old Abueva was two months and 11 days shy of the record held by the great Ramon Fernandez.
Fernandez was 37 years, 10 months and 19 days old when he also scored 41 for San Miguel Beer in a 101-99 loss to Alaska in Game 1 of the best-of-three series for third place in the 1991 All-Filipino Conference.
Abueva was 37 years, eight months and four days old during his unlikely scoring output that broke his previous high of 31 when he was with Alaska in 2017.
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Mangonon also mentioned that Abueva is the eighth active player to record 40 in a game during their current careers, joining June Mar Fajardo, Don Trollano, Robert Bolick, RR Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, Chris Newsome and Stanley Pringle.
Abueva made 14 of 27 shots, including four triples, during the contest that saw Titan Ultra buck an 11-0 deficit at the start.
His 16 in the third actually blew the game wide open in the Giant Risers’ favor, before preventing the Bolts from completing a comeback from 19 down in the final minutes.