Arwind, Devance, Carey still in the hunt

What initially loomed as a duel for the Rain or Shine-PBA Philippine
Cup Elims/Quarters Top Performer Award between Alaska’s Joe Devance
and Talk ‘N Text’s Harvey Carey has turned into a three-way fight,
with a resurgent Arwind Santos of San Miguel Beer joining the fray.

Devance, the Aces’ 3-point shooting forward, and Carey, the Tropang
Texters’ hard-driving frontliner, appeared to have a lock on the
award, presented for the second time by the PBA Press Corps to the
best performing player in the All-Filipino Conference prior to the
best-of-seven semifinals.

But Devance, whose Aces fell to the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the
best-of-three quarterfinals, took a slide in his average statistical
points after the series, allowing Santos to reel in the early leader.

Talk ‘N Text and San Miguel skipped the quarters after clinching
outright Final Four berths for finishing No. 1 and No. 2 in the
classification stage of the elimination round.

Santos averaged 34.7 statistical points (SPs) after 15 games, Devance
finished with 34.5 in 17 matches, and Carey with 34.4 in 15 outings. A
second SMB player, Jay Washington, is in fourth with 34.1 average SPs.

Prior to his injury early this season, Ranidel de Ocampo, Talk ‘N
Text’s comebacking forward, was the runaway choice last season. But
the proximity to each other of the current pacesetters has made the
race much more heated than before.

The PBAPC also casts its vote for Best Player of the Conference and
the Most Valuable Player, and chooses the Finals MVP at the end of
each conference.

The award will be presented on Jan. 5 at the Araneta Coliseum by PBA
Commissioner Chito Salud, PBA vice chairman Mert Mondragon of Rain or
Shine, and the PBAPC.(pr)