Pitted against the PBA All-stars, the nine-man US select squad led by Bryant, Rose, Durant and Paul overwhelmed the star-struck locals, 131-105, Saturday night in the first of two exhibition games of the Smart Ultimate All-star Weekend. Bryant and company started slow but when their team do make a basket it was most likely to be far less than spectacular. From the second overall pick Derrick Williams to the back-to-back scoring champion Durant, each had his fair share of highlight reel plays whether it’s one of their dazzling crossovers or spellbinding slams. In fact, Durant wowed the crowd with his limitless range more than his above the rim antics.
Durant unleashed 19 of his 22 points in the first half alone built around his array of offensive arsenals while Bryant, the showman that he is, did not disappoint either.
The fan-favorite Bryant, who only played three quarters and finished 12 points, was in his usual game-form as he played with the crowd and toyed with his defenders—one of which is Petron Blaze’ Arwind Santos. Santos, who paced the PBA side in scoring, took part in two of the game’s highlights—the other end of it though. After falling on his rear end against a crisscrossing Tyreke Evans, Santos got another crack to save his name.
But facing the five-time champion Bryant? Forget it.
Adding more insult, Bryant put Santos to school with a move only seen in the streets before backing him down for the patented Black Mamba turnaround.
It wasn’t all about the US squad though as the PBA stars also showed off. Talk ‘N Text guard Jason Castro showed off his scrappy side when he pick-pocketed All-star playmaker Chris Paul twice.
Seven-foot slam dunk artist Javale McGee led the NBA stars with 25 points.
The Filipino fans showed so much affection, and the visiting NBA stars responded with a show to remember. The kickoff game of the Ultimate All-Star Weekend lived up to its name, proving to be an ultimate showcase of great cage stuffs. Kobe Bryant and his gang, playing under the banner of SMART All-Star team, wowed the crowd and their PBA rivals in a 131-105 victory fashioned before a sellout crowd at the Araneta Coliseum Saturday
night. The Big Dome rocked from the call-out, to the warm-up, to the opening half, to the halftime break and to the final half, and everyone went home a winner. The local fans were the ultimate winners, having witnessed a grand cage extravaganza. For the PBA stars and the PBA organization, it was an experience of a lifetime. The organizing SMART-PLDT group was champion in being able to come up with the blockbuster event. The NBA stars were all kind of winners as they won the contest in a fashion making everybody happy.
Each member of the nine-man visiting squad was just too glad to make a show. Javale McGee was tireless in executing jams and finished with a team-high 25 points. Kevin Durant, Derrick Williams, Tyreke Evans, James Harden, Bryant and Chris Paul all added double-digit numbers. The game’s result was a foregone conclusion but the crowd waited with bated breath just every move the NBA superstars made. Lustily cheered on by the crowd, the Black Mamba and company never disappointed, setting the tone of
the electrifying night early with an array of slams. It was an ultimate show of dunks with the NBA stars scoring their first three baskets on slams and
closing out the half with a total of 18. The show shifted to three-point shooting in the second quarter with Durant, Williams and Evans combining for seven treys to rip apart a close 35-32 count.
The SMART All Stars led 66-50 at the half, and during the break, the duo of Harden and Paul beat the Filipino pair of Larry Fonacier and LA Tenorio in a special three-point shootout, 24-22. The local stars had their own highlight stuffs. There’s Arwind Santos scoring the game’s first basket on a two-handed breakaway jam, Jason Castro stealing twice off Paul, Tenorio driving past McGee and Sol Mercado shaking off Derrick Fisher’s defense for a layup.
The two teams figured in six lead changes before the NBA team took the lead for good, opening its first double-digit spread at 52-40 on three straight triples by Williams and Durant. Player-coach Bryant fielded himself, Durant, Paul, Rose and McGee as their starting five against Santos, Castro, James Yap, Mark Caguioa and Sonny Thoss.
Despite chants of “Ko-be! Ko-be! Ko-be!” the five-time champion LA Lakers star sat out the final quarter, probably saving his energy for today’s game against Smart Gilas Pilipinas. Bryant had a few dunks and even worked with Rose that left the latter, the reigning NBA MVP for the Chicago Bulls, scoring a jam and Durant draining some of the farthest threes.
McGee displayed why some believed he should have won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest with one doing a "poster dunk" on B-MEG's Marc Pingris. Highlighting the performance of the Washington Wizards' center was in the final period when he swatted Rabeh Al-Hussaini's layup. Afterwards, McGee made true of his promise on his Twitter account by doing the plank, a crazed practice being done in public places. A three-point shootout also took place where Paul teamed up with James Harden in beating the pair of LA Tenorio and Larry Fonacier. The last shot of Paul gave them a win.
Before the game, the PBA players even waited outside the locker room for a chance to get a glimpse of their idols. Celebrities spotted Ruffa Gutierrez with Michelle Madrigal, Erap Estrada, John Estrada with wife Priscilla and Randy Santiago.
Mo Twister and Patricia Bermudez hosted the event. The crowd booed DJ Mo when he corrected what Patricia had said.
Kobe confirmed during his interview that he request for the tapes of there opponents prior to there match-up.
THE SCORES:
SMART NBA All Stars (131) J.McGee 25, K.Durant 22, D.Williams 19, T.Evans 17, J.Harden 16, Kobe 12, C.Paul 11, D.Rose 9, D.Fisher 0.PBA SELECTIONS (105) Ar.Santos 25, Cabagnot 9, Pingris 9, Al-Hussaini 8, Mercado 8, David 8, Norwood 7, Ry.Reyes 6, Thoss 4, J.Castro 4, Caguioa 4, Seigle 4, Intal 4, Fonacier 3, Tenorio 2, J.Yap 0.
PHOTO GALLERY:
