Cabagnot shines as North torches South in All-Star

MANILA, Philippines – Alex Cabagnot returned to the PBA All-Star Game from a three-year absence with an explosive 29-point performance, with three other North All Stars delivering 20-point jobs as they topped their South counterparts, 154-151, in the highlight game of the 2016 PBA All-Star Weekend at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

Cabagnot, an 11-year pro playing a fourth All-Star, played with great determination off the bench, going 13-of-21 from the field, adding five rebounds, three assists and one steal, and proved to be the star among all the stars in the 27th edition of the annual PBA mid-season spectacle.

The 2005 No. 2 draft pick bagged the MVP award, the sixth SMB player to win the honors after Samboy Lim, Allan Caidic, Alvin Teng, Danny Ildefonso and Arwind Santos.

Terrence Romeo, the 2015 All-Star MVP, Troy Rosario and Japeth Aguilar produced at least 21 points each as the Northerners made it four in a row versus the Southerners and raised to 8-4 their advantage in their all-time matches.

 Rosario played superbly as a rookie All-Star player, scoring 21 points, including numerous highlight slams. He also struck with a crucial follow-up shot to make it 154-151 with 5.7 seconds to go.

Jeff Chan missed a game-tying three-point attempt in the dying seconds and the North side went on to hand coach Yeng Guiao a fourth All-Star victory, tying the record of coach Tim Cone.

Marc Pingris, Ranidel de Ocampo, Paul Lee, Gabe Norwood, Stanley Pringle, Jayson Castro and Mark Caguioa were part of the winning team that missed the services of supposed starter Calvin Abueva due to fever.

After leading by as many as 16, the North squad barely escaped with the win in a climactic culmination of the All-Star Weekend marked by victories of Romeo, Rey Guevarra and Maverick Ahanmisi in the All-Star Skills Competitions.

Down by nine at 143-152 in the last two minutes, the South team fought back into the game in the closing seconds on a crucial eight-point binge by June Mar Fajardo.

The reigning back-to-back PBA MVP top scored for the losing team with 25 points, and had his highlight plays, including a steal off Mark Caguioa that he turned to a basket on a drive off a behind-the-back dribble.

He also laced his game with a three-point play, nine rebounds, one assist and another steal against three turnovers in 30 minutes of action.

RR Garcia and Jericho Cruz fired 22 and 20 points, respectively, for the South team under coach Leo Austria.    

Romeo, Cabagnot and Rosario had had at least 11 each as the North side headed to the dugout with a 79-73 halftime lead.

 Garcia and Carlo Lastimosa came off the bench strong in the second quarter, spearheading South’s rally from an early 16-point deficit at 26-42.

After a long chase, the South All Stars pulled even at 90-all in the third.