SAN Miguel Beer star CJ Perez will certainly cherish the Beermen’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup title triumph against the Magnolia Hotshots.
The flamboyant playmaker bagged the Best Player of the Conference award and was also named finals MVP after he averaged 18 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists in the six-game title battle won by SMB 4-2 capped by a gripping 104-102 decision in Game 6 two nights back.
“Sobrang blessed na nanalo kami ngayon. Siyempre, ayaw kasi namin ng Game 7.
Mahihirapan kami. Great win,” Perez said. “Hindi naman sila nag-re-rely sa akin, pero minsan sinasabi nila na we need you, kailangan ka namin sa loob.
“Kaya nag-focus lang ako. That first half, that wasn’t me kasi nawawala ako, hindi ako aggressive pumunta sa basket,” he added.
The 6-foot-2 Perez took the cudgels for the wards of coach Jorge Gallent in the second half of the title clincher where he had a big hand in the Beermen’s fightback from a 13-point third quarter hole.
Perez wound up with 28 points in the sixth tiff.
“Second half, pinush nila ako ni coach, Chris Ross,” the former Rookie of the Year out of Lyceum said. “Sinabi nila sa akin na kaya ko na kailangan ko mag-step up.”
Gallent gave Perez plaudits for his steady showing in the Big Dance of the season-opening meet.
“He just showed his worth in this conference and that he can excel more. As a good player, he became an even better player, and this is where he is now,” Gallent said. “He won the BPC and the finals MVP. He’s getting more mature. I love it. All of his success, I love.”
Perez admitted he has a love and hate relationship with Gallent like a father and son–fighting but for the team’s glory.
“I always cherish those kinds of moments with coach Jorge, he said it himself, I’m hardheaded. Sometimes I don’t pass but now I pass a lot. I’m always grateful and I love him as a coach,” he said.
“Of course, we argued but we weren’t arguing for our sakes. He just told me what I needed to do. That’s how things go when you almost have a father-son relationship. You fight but you still follow.”
There’s no doubt in Gallent’s mind that Perez is one the best players in the pro league right now and that will be a headache for the rest of the field.
“CJ has always been a great player. He plays offense. He plays defense and now he showed his worth in this conference that he can excel pa. As a good player he became a better player,” he said.
