NorthPort’s Arvin Tolentino has set the pace on offense among locals as the statistical race in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup heats up.
The Batang Pier forward has been on target after seven games in the mid-season tournament to get on top of point production, averaging 24.71 points.
Tolentino is also leading in the field goals made per game with norms of 7.57 made shots while hitting a spectacular 61.64 percent two-point field goals and 84.29 percent from the free throw line.
Behind 6-foot-5 Tolentino’s scoring prowess, NorthPort climbed to the top of the standings with a 6-1 win-loss record.
TNT’s Calvin Oftana and NLEX’s Robert Bolick are currently in second and third in scoring with averages of 21.75 and 21.67 points per game, respectively, followed by Blackwater’s Sedrick Barefield (20.75) and San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo (19.8).
On the other hand, the eight-time Most Valuable Player and 11-time Best Player of the Conference winner Fajardo lorded over the boards with an average of 17 rebounds per game.
Behind the 6-foot-10 behemoth, who also logged the most playing minutes among locals with 39:48 minutes per outing, are Meralco’s Raymond Almazan (9.33), Converge rookie Justine Baltazar (8.4), Tolentino (8.0) and Hong Kong Eastern’s Hayden Blankley (7.75).
Bolick, despite falling behind in the scoring contest, has been displaying great playmaking skills with norms of 7.67 assists per game ahead of Barangay Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson (7.33), Converge’ Jordan Heading (6.75), NorthPort’s Fran Yu (6.0) and Magnolia’s Mark Barroca (5.86).
On the defensive end, TNT’s Jayson Casto topped the list with an average of 3.0 steals per game which he achieved in just one game. However, it was NorthPort’s Joshua Munzon, who tallied the most steals with 17 in seven outings for an average of 2.43 per outing.
Munzon’s teammate Will Navarro (2.29), San Miguel’s Jeron Teng (2.0) and Barroca (1.86) round up the top five in the category.
Terrafirma’s Kenmark Carino averaged 2.0 blocks to lead the department in front of Almazan (1.33), Navarro (1.29), Meralco’s Cliff Hodge (1.2) and Tolentino (1.14).
Meanwhile, Blackwater’s George King paced the scoring among reinforcements with 37.17 points per outing to outshine his closest pursuer Eastern’s Cameron Clark (32.5).
NLEX’s Michael Watkins topped the rebounding department (23.5) as well as in blocks (2.83), two-time Best Import winner Rondae Hollis-Jefferson emerged as assists leader (4.75) while Rain or Shine’s Deon Thompson in steals (2.5).