Following Magnolia’s bombshell trade of William Navarro to the Hotshots last week, Calvin Abueva played his first game with NorthPort on Wednesday.

Paradoxically, Abueva, 37, made his Batang Pier debut against Phoenix, a team he played for for two years. In NorthPort’s 118-107 victory over Phoenix, he finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.

Phoenix star Jason Perkins said that Abueva’s statline shows that he still has it and that he is a valuable member of whatever squad he joins.

“I love playing against Calvin.” In Abueva’s debut game with the Batang Pier, Perkins scored 26 points and pulled down eight rebounds for the Fuelmasters.

Abueva and Perkins led the Fuelmasters alongside Matthew Wright during the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup bubble, which saw the team led by Topex Robinson advance to the semifinals.

After winning the last two games of their best-of-five semifinal series, they lost to TNT, only one victory away from reaching the finals.

Abueva is already nearing the end of his PBA career, but he demonstrated on Wednesday that he can still provide his team energy and cause difficulties for the opposition on the floor, according to Perkins.

“Calvin is 37 now, but his motor is extremely high. He is always high on the scouting report, he works hard, and treats everyone with respect on the court and off the court,” he said.

“I have nothing but good things to say about Calvin. I’m thankful every time I get to play against Calvin. I really enjoy it.”

Meanwhile, after learning that his father had died in Italy the night before Phoenix’s PBA Philippine Cup matchup with NorthPort, JC Cullar played for Phoenix on Wednesday with the heaviest of hearts.

In seven minutes and 24 seconds of action, the Phoenix rookie, who only joined the squad in May of last year, scored four points and was flawless from the line as the Fuelmasters defeated NorthPort 118-107. In the win, he also provided four assists.

The former outstanding player for the College of St. Benilde went straight to the airport after the game in order to board an early flight to Italy, where his family is stationed.

Despite his situation, Cullar chose to play, according to Phoenix coach Jamike Jarin.

“The first thing that I told him was to be with your family. Kasi, they are from Italy, so I said, Go and get the fastest flight to be with your family. And he said I have an obligation to my family also here, to my Phoenix family,” Jarin said. 

Late in the game that he chose to play, Cullar made his final two free shots, and his teammates encouraged him.

Jason Perkins said that despite his father’s death from cancer, Cullar continued to attend practice on Tuesday, which inspired the squad to win the game in his honor.

“It’s really hard to play after that happens with your family. He has a flight at 2 a.m., but still had the strength to come out and play, and he played well tonight,” Perkins said.

“JC hasn’t been anything but positive and strong. I think that really inspired and motivated us today. Yesterday in practice, you wouldn’t be able to tell. He was in there getting shots off before and after. He stayed positive. And he works hard,” he added.