North, South clash in All-Star game today

PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines – It’s height versus quickness as the big North team and the quick South squad finally square off in the 2010 PBA All-Star Game at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum here today.

They waited two years to play each other again as the league deviated from the North- versus-South All-Star format last year to help the RP team cause.

With the old format back, the North and South teams will be up against each other again, battling for a 5-4 lead in their duels since the annual mid-season spectacle was institutionalized in 1989.

Game time is at 6:30 p.m.

The South team, led by league MVP winners Eric Menk, Asi Taulava, Kelly Williams and James Yap, will seek a repeat of their 163-158 overtime win in Bacolod in 2008.

Menk, Taulava, Williams, Yap and Cyrus Baguio form the South team’s huge starting five. Completing coach Tim Cone’s team are Jimmy Alapag, Roger Yap, Reynel Hugnatan, Dondon Hontiveros, Sonny Thoss, Joe Devance and Ronald Tubid.

The North team has Mark Pingris, JC Intal, Jayjay Helterbrand, Paul Artadi and Gabe Norwood as starters and Rico Maierhofer, Willie Miller, Ranidel de Ocampo, Sol Mercado, Ryan Reyes, Mark Cardona and Arwind Santos as reserves.

Having only De Ocampo, Pingris and Maierhofer to man the paint, coach Ryan Gregorio said they would bank on quickness to win the game.

“It’s an exciting match. They’re very tall, deep with five to six centers. In our team, the tallest is Ranidel de Ocampo who’s not even a legitimate center. Ping (Pingris) is not 100 percent healthy. But we’ll find ways with our quickness because we’re loaded with guards,” said Gregorio.

“I’m used to coaching smaller and quicker team. If it becomes a battle underneath, then we have no chance. But if we’re able to dictate the tempo, they can’t catch up,” Gregorio added.

“I’ll let them (the players) play. This is the All Stars, I won’t hold them back,” said Cone, looking for a sixth All-Star game win.

Gregorio is in his third All-Star Game. He won over Joel Banal in Laoag in 2004 and lost to Boyet Fernandez in Bacolod in 2008.

Four players in Maierhofer, Mercado, Intal and Devance are first-time All-Star participants.

Taulava and Hontiveros, meanwhile, are both playing their 10th All-Star Game. The two have joined Alvin Patrimonio, Jerry Codiñera, Dindo Pumaren and Vergel Meneses in an elite list of players making at least 10 All-Star Games.

The Shooting All Stars and the Legends Shootout serve as preliminaries to the All-Star Game.

Mark Macapagal, Yousif Aljamal and Jeff Chan will team up facing veterans Alvin Patrimonio, Kenneth Duremdes and Rodesendo Gomez in the Legends Shootout.

Jonas Villanueva, Renren Ritualo and Macapagal are PBA players playing in the Shooting Stars, joined in by celebrity players and special guests.

On All-Star Saturday, the whole PBA delegation visited the famed Underground River in Sabang, Puerto Princesa - in the running in the search for the new seven wonders of the world.

They were welcomed by Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn.