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| Jerom Lastimosa caught fire from long range in the PBA All-Star Rookie-Sophomore-Junior Blitz Game. Peter Baltazar |
MANILA—The big names from the last two PBA Drafts showed why they are the people to watch out for in the coming years as they beat the stars of Batch 2023, 154-150, in the PBA All-Star Rookie-Sophomore-Junior Blitz Game on Friday night at the Candon City Arena.
The Rookie-Sophomore alliance broke loose from a close game against the Juniors when the former went on a 49-point third quarter to open a 112-105 lead heading to the fourth.
The Rookie-Sophomore team held on to the lead in the final frame and even flirted with finishing the game with a blowout before they let the juniors go on a dunking exhibition in the end to delight the Ilocano crowd.
Magnolia's Jerom Lastimosa, adjudged as the MVP of the Blitz Game, led the Rookie-Sophomore squad with 27 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including a 5-for-6 clip from long distance, three rebounds, 10 assists, and one steal.
NLEX's Brandon Ramirez added 26 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, and one steal, while Phoenix's Kai Ballungay chipped in 20 markers on 7-of-13 shooting, highlighted by two alley-oop dunks that were worth three points, seven rebounds, one assist, and one block.
Arwind Santos turned back time and put up 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, eight rebounds, and two assists in a splendid performance as one of the guest players for the Rookie-Sophomore team.
Willie Miller, the other PBA legend recruited for the Rookie-Sophomore team, had a quiet four points but not without a Euro step layup to show he still has it at age 48.
Ricci Rivero put up 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and two steals, Schonny Winston added 29 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal, and Ken Tuffin fired 23 points on seven threes, five rebounds, and one assist for the Juniors.
Biñan's Marc Pingris, added to the Juniors squad as a reinforcement from the PBA legends, went 3-for-3 from the field for six points, with five rebounds and two assists, showing he can still be a solid inside presence at the PBA level despite his age.
Ranidel De Ocampo, the other PBA legend playing for the Juniors, went scoreless.
The scores:
Rookies Sophomores 154 – Lastimosa 27, Ramirez 26, Ballungay 20, Panopio 17, Barefield 14, Santos 14, Torres 9, Estil 8, Bravo 8, C. Miller 4, W. Miller 4, Malonzo 3, Lemetti 0.
Juniors 150 – Rivero 30, Winston 29, Tuffin 23, Garcia 15, Caralipio 9, Aurin 8, Cu 7, Bates 7, Pingris 6, Flores 5, Galinato 4, Fajardo 4, Yu 3, De Ocampo 0.
Quarters: 32-35; 63-64; 112-105; 154-150.
