By Adrian Stewart Co

James Yap of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters won his first Cignal-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week award.

The Escalante City native averaged 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists as the Painters sit in first place with a 7-1 record.

Yap, who recently turned 37 years old, tallied 18 points behind his 6-of-9 clip from three-point zone, leading the Painters’ comeback from a double-digit deficit to score a 107-100 win over the NorthPort Batang Pier earlier this month. The two-time PBA MVP offered a tepid two-point output two days later, but contributed four boards in 18 minutes off the bench as the Painters cruised to a 98-94 overtime win over Phoenix Fuel Masters.

The Negrense went on to rediscover his touch in a key matchup against his former team, the Magnolia Hotshots, last week, where he fired 18 off points, including the game-winning three-point play to lift the Painters to a 75-74 triumph.

Yap beat teammate Beau Belga; San Miguel Beermen’s June Mar Fajardo, Terrence Romeo, and Arwind Santos; and Alaska Aces’ Chris Banchero, Carl Bryan Cruz, and Chris Eximiniano for the weekly recognition./ASC, WDJ