Pampanga’s Bautista gains NBL Player of Week honors

Power forward Dave Bautista of the Pampanga Bulls was named the fifth National Basketball League (NBL) Player of the Week for the period June 23-29, edging out seven other talented cagers.

A native of Arayat, Pampanga who played for five seasons in the defunct MBA, Bautista averaged 10 points and 12 rebounds in two games, capping his spectacular showing with an 18-point, 17-rebound stint when the Bulls brought down pacesetting MayniLA, 87-82, last Sunday at the Gov. Bren Guiao Convention Center in Pampanga.

Bautista, who beat teammate Billy Bansil, MayniLA’s Glenn Peter Yap and Ernani Epondulan, Spring’s Jay Lapinid, Taguig’s Robin Mendoza and Miko Roldan and Bacolod’s Junel Mendiola for the top weekly honors, is the only NBL player with a double-double average (11.6 points, 12.1 rebounds).

Bautista is also the leader with 291 statistical points in the MVP race of the tourney supported by Tanduay Rhum, Air Philippines, Cebu Ferries, Nature’s Spring Drinking Water, SuperCat, BJ Star Logistics, Panasonic, Sinners and Saints, The Freeman, Jaguar KTV, Gatorade and Molten Basketballs.

A distant second is MayniLA’s Francis Sanz (263 SPs), followed by Mendoza (202), Spring’s Tyrone Bautista (199), Taguig’s Jimmy Robillos (190), Bansil (184), Pampanga’s Welihado Duyag (183), Spring’s Murphyl Limbo (178), Lhuillier’s Arnold Rodriguez (176) and Mendiola (175).

Meanwhile action resumes tomorrow at the Guiao Convention Center with Air Philippines-Bacolod facing Spring at 3 p.m. and Forward Taguig meeting Pampanga at 5.