Air21’s Santos making strong case for MVP

MANILA, Philippines – Air21 sophomore forward Arwind Santos now gets a chance to get even with Kelly Williams. As the Express clash with the Barangay Ginebra Kings for the Smart-PBA Fiesta Cup crown, the lanky six-foot-four Santos will have the opportunity to pile up statistical points and crowd out Williams in the fight for the coveted Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. By virtue of Sta Lucia’s successful title drive in the season-opening Philippine Cup, the slamdunking Williams has managed to earn enough points to lead the race for the league’s highest individual honor. But following the Realtors’ early exit and the strong showing of the Express heading into the homestretch of the import-laden conference, Santos, the former Far Eastern University King Tamaraw and two-time UAAP MVP, is expected to make a strong case for himself. “Kung papalarin ako, pasalamat na ako nun. Kung hindi naman, pasalamat pa rin ako," said the soft-spoken cager from Pampanga. Williams and Santos have a personal rivalry of sort going between them, with the Sta Lucia stalwart getting the better end of it twice in the past. The Realtors picked Williams as the league’s top Draft pick a year ago, with Santos going to the Express as the no. 2 selection overall. By the end of the 2006-07 season, the six-foot-six Williams edged out Santos for the Rookie of the Year plum. Curiously, the two were teammates with Magnolia in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) when the Wizards rallied back from 0-2 down to beat the Welcoat Paintmasters in a best-of-five title series. “OK naman kami ni Kelly. May the best man win na lang," he said. The MVP award can wait, according to Santos, as he’d rather concentrate first on the Express’ best-of-seven title showdown with the highly-favored Kings. In his first ever finals stint in the pro league, Santos said he’d like to enjoy the experience at the moment. “Before the season, ang pinagdadasal ko makapasok kami sa semifinals. Nagawa namin yun, nag-No. 1 pa nga kami and outright semis pa. So sobang tuwa ko nun. Ngayon nakarating na kami sa Finals, first time in history ng team, kaya gusto ko ma-enjoy muna ito," he said. – GMANewsTV