MANILA: Despite giving up a tremendous amount in size, the North on Sunday night kept its mastery of the South in the Annual PBA All-Star Game, which rebounded at the tills a bit.
A good-sized crowd showed up for the yearly spectacle and one that was conspicuously absent was Calvin Abueva, who was supposed to start in one of the forward spots for the North but was nowhere to be found at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Word reaching the PBA Commissioner’s Office was that Abueva, the Best Player of the Commissioner’s Cup, was confined at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center because of a severe case of tonsillitis, though league personnel really could not say whether it was official or not.
Still, the North played with sustained energy and sharpness all game long and eked out a 154-151 triumph, winning the event for the fourth straight year and the fifth in the last six editions.
Alex Cabagnot of San Miguel Beer came off the bench to shoot 29 points, 11 of them in the final period, to win MVP honors for the first time in his career.
Seeing action in just his fourth All-Star Game, Cabagnot tossed in 12 of his total in the second and the North, after a superb start, actually kept control of the contest practically the entire night.
“It was all about having fun out there, fun with my (All-Star) teammates and my San Miguel teammates,” the 6-foot-1 point guard said after receiving the trophy and an envelope for the cash prize which teammate Mark Caguioa of Barangay Ginebra opened.
Terrence Romeo started out for the North at the point and finished with 25 points, with Japeth Aguilar shooting 21, 15 of them coming in the third period.
Rookie Troy Rosario also came off the bench for coach Yeng Guiao to scatter 21, with Marc Pingris finishing with 16 and Ranidel de Ocampo firing 13 for the North.
June Mar Fajardo, the reining two-time MVP of San Miguel, had 25 points to pace the South.
The 6-foot-10 slotman from Pinamingahan town in Cebu had the first highlight reel play of the contest early in the first period when he stole off Caguioa and then made a behind-the-back dribble to complete the steal and make a breakaway layup.
As usual, the teams did their dance routines after their respective call-outs, with the league making it official by dangling a P150,000 cash prize for the better performance.
The South won that side of the battle after their routine choreographed by one of the Mocha Girls.
RR Garcia of Star had 22 points, Carlo Lastimosa of Blackwater tossed in 21, Jericho Cruz of Rain or Shine chipped in with 20 and four others finished in twin digits for the South, handled by San Miguel’s Leo Austria.
Jeff Chan, the Rain or Shine gunner, had a chance to tie the game with a triple try at the buzzer only to be bothered by Elasto Painters teammate Lee. Chan finished with 12 points for Austria.
North extends reign in PBA All-Star Game
North extends reign in PBA All-Star Game
