MANILA – Magnolia Hotshots’ Paul Lee and Alaska Aces’ Chris Banchero emerged as top contenders for the Best Player of the Conference award in the 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup.
Lee was currently on fourth place with 32.9 statistical points while Banchero, who was on third at the end of the elimination round, dropped to fifth place after the semifinals with 31.56 SPs.
Both Lee and Banchero can still boost their bid to clinch the BPC award as the Hotshots and the Aces face off in the best-of-seven Finals starting Dec. 5.
Going into the Finals, Lee averaged 17.64 points, 4.43 rebounds, 3.14 assists, and 1.86 steals, while Banchero put in 14.4 markers, 4.6 boards, tournament-best 7.13 dish-offs, and 1.0 steal.
San Miguel Beermen’s rookie Christian Standhardinger was still way ahead in the statistics but his chances of winning the plum dimmed when his team failed to reach at least the semifinal round.
The 6-foot-8 Standhardinger was the runaway leader in the stats race with 41.9 SPs a game as he posted averages of 22.8 points and 13.4 rebounds this conference.
Coming in on second place was NorthPort Batang Pier guard Stanley Pringle with 34 SPs, and then Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings’ Japeth Aguilar with 32.9 points.
All contenders have yet to win the coveted individual plum. The final determining factor for the winner is the balloting among players, the sports media and the PBA Commissioner’s Office./PN
