Calvin Abueva has been keeping his cool since then.
In the aftermath of the verbal tirades between Calvin Abueva and Mo Tautuaa’s wife, Aida, nearly a week ago that marred Game Two of the ongoing best-of-seven PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, Ian Sangalang helped tame the Beast.
Sangalang shared that he talked to his long-time friend Abueva after the incident as he spoke to reporters following his Magnolia squad's 96-85 Game Four win over San Miguel Friday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. The Beermen levelled the series and made it a virtually best-of-three affair.
“Kinausap ko si Calvin noong time na 'yun. Alam ko ang mga (Instagram) stories niya about doon sa nangyari,” said Sangalang, who was Abueva's teammate during their college days with San Sebastian.
“Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Bawi ka lang next game. Focus ka lang next game. After ng finals, pag-usapan natin. Mag-inuman tayo.'”
[RELATED STORY: PBA: Hotshots didn’t let Calvin Abueva's issues hound Game 3 prep]
Abueva did make up for his actions, including his mocking of San Miguel coach Jorge Gallent's visual disability of which he was slapped a 100,000 fine.
The enigmatic forward eventually apologized to Tautuaa and his wife. He was also seen hugging and sharing a few words in a light moment with San Miguel coach Jorge Gallent prior to their Game 3 battle last Wednesday.
[ALSO READ: PBA: Commissioner Willie Marcial issues stern warning to Abueva after Game 2 antics]
Putting his issues behind him, Abueva scored six points and hauled down seven rebounds as he returned to the court in Game Three.
In Game Four last night, Abueva played with razor-sharp focus anew which allowed him to contribute nine points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals, and aid Magnolia's back-to-back winning response in the duel for the diadem.
“Alam ko namang may gusto lang siyang taong makausap. Ginawa ko 'yun para kumalma sya,” Sangalang added.
“Nakita mo naman noong game na pagbalik niya, as in focused sya. Kontrolado niya sarili niya. Even sa game ngayon, nakita ninyo kung paano niya kontrolin ang sarili niya.”
Sangalang said the Hotshots need Abueva to be at his best if they want to claim their first championship since the 2018 Governors’ Cup.
“Alam nating madami syang antics pero ngayong finals, kailangan nIya talagang maging ganoon (calm) throughout this series,” he said.
Magnolia looks to gain the series lead for the first time when the two teams meet again in the fifth installment of their titular showdown on Sunday.
Tipoff is at 6:15 p.m. at the same venue. Fans at home could enjoy the match on RPTV, A2Z, PBA Rush and the Pilipinas Live app.