Manuel brushes off BPC talks, stays focused on team goal

PBA IMAGES

Alaska forward Vic Manuel has been tearing up the 2018 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

On Sunday, Manuel has hit at least 20 points for the eighth straight time, which is the longest since Terrence Romeo scored nine consecutive 20-point games in the 2016 Philippine Cup.

Manuel’s performance makes him a prime candidate for the Best Player of the Conference award, but individual honors do not entice the forward in any way whatsoever.

“No, no, no, I’m not even thinking about it,” said Manuel in Filipino after their 89-74 loss to the Bolts Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. “Our goal right now is to make the playoffs and get to the semifinals.”

“If we’re lucky, we might get back to the finals.”

Manuel is the eighth-best scorer in the league averaging 24.2 points and the seven players ahead of him are all imports with teammate Anthony Campbell holding the seventh spot with an average of 24.4 points a game.

And Manuel’s scoring exploits have also piqued the interest of opposing coaches as Meralco head coach Norman Black put his best interior defender Arinze Onuaku on Alaska’s emerging superstar.

“Onuaku was kind of challenging me earlier in the game and he was egging me to shoot from the perimeter,” said Manuel, who finished with 22 points and eight rebounds. “Whatever happens, I just keep myself ready and I’m just enjoying the game.”