San Miguel’s Allyn Bulanadi. —PBA IMAGES
ANTIPOLO — After an uneventful start to his pro career, Allyn Bulanadi made the most out of its restart on Sunday night, starring in San Miguel Beer’s thrashing of Phoenix at Ynares Center here.
Bulanadi had 16 points in the outing—just two points behind scoring champion CJ Perez, and three from cornerstone and six-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo in the 114-93 blowout114-93 blowout that ushered in the Beermen’s post-Leo Austria era.
“First game with SMB, of course, I was excited,” Bulanadi told reporters on his way out of the hilltop arena.
“I’m not content. I want to (keep adding to my play) for my performance in the next game,” he added.
Bulanadi was the fourth pick of the 2019 Special Gilas Pilipinas Draft that featured Mike and Matt Nieto, Rey Suerte and Isaac Go.
That bunch was loaned to the national team hobbled by the coronavirus outbreak for nearly two years.
The spitfire guard out of San Sebastian went on to play for his mother PBA club Alaska at the turn of 2022, but the club’s disbandment disrupted his career’s progression.
He saw limited minutes under the Aldin Ayo-mentored Converge that inherited the Aces’ PBA franchise and was eventually shipped to the vaunted ball club by way of a NorthPort trade ahead of this season’s Governors’ Cup.
“Actually, yes. I didn’t expect it,” Bulanadi said of his transfer. “But I guess, the first order of business was acceptance. Move on, then get back to work.”
Jorge Gallent, who now calls the shots for the Beermen, heaped praises on the 25-year-old cager who provided added firepower off the bench.
“Allyn’s always been a shooter. When we played against him against Converge, he was just doing the same things there,” he said.
“He’s just doing the same things here. So I’m very happy for his game as well as a San Miguel Beermen, and I just hope he keeps it up,” Gallent added.
Bulanadi hopes to further build on his stellar showing as his career navigates a new arc and he’s glad that he has a bunch of battle-hardened players around him in his young career’s reboot.
“Every day, I’m looking for ways to keep up with them,” he said. “And they’re teaching me, guiding what else to work on.”
“I’m extra motivated (to show out),” he went on. “I’ve been on so many teams. No changes in my routine, I’m just extra motivated.”