Powerhouse PBA Luzon selection gets crack at Gilas

Games Friday (Batangas City)

4:30 p.m. – All-Star skills events

7 p.m. – Luzon All Stars vs Smart All Stars

BATANGAS CITY – The PBA Luzon All-Stars, a gathering of franchise players looking more like the national team than the Smart All Stars, take their turn to challenge the national pool in the second leg of the 2018 PBA All-Star festivities at the Batangas City Coliseum here Friday night.

San Miguel stars Arwind Santos, Alex Cabagnot and Marcio Lassiter, Ginebra ace guard LA Tenorio, Magnolia lead guns Paul Lee and Ian Sangalang, GlobalPort do-it-all star Stanley Pringle and ROS center Raymond Almazan team up in the powerhouse Luzon selection testing the mettle of June Mar Fajardo and his teammates in their 7 p.m. setto.

Gilas players Japeth Aguilar, Jayson Castro, Calvin Abueva and Matthew Wright also strut their stuff with the regional team since the four players are from Luzon.

To don the Smart All Star jersey in the Batangas game are Fajardo, Carl Bryan Cruz, Troy Rosario, Mac Belo, RR Pogoy, Allein Malicsi, Terrence Romeo, Gabe Norwood, Jio Jalalon and Kiefer Ravena.

Leo Austria calls the shots for the Luzon team while Yeng Guiao holds the rein for the Smart squad in this game presented by Phoenix Fuel with Phoenix Pulse Technology and backed by Peak Sports Apparel, Molten, PBA Rush-Cignal, Nature’s Spring, TAGHeuer, Gatorade and Rain or Shine.

Smart Team Philippines will be short in manpower but could be dangerous with its determination to bounce back from its humbling 130-144 loss to the Mindanao All Stars in Digos City on Wednesday.

“We showed our pride as Mindanaoans playing before fellow Mindanaoans. With wounded pride, Smart could well be a different team in Batangas,” said Mark Barroca.

Austria and his Luzon team, however, are also raring to give Smart Team Philippines a tough challenge.

The SMB bench chieftain has at his disposal All-Star players who all have had their stints with the national team except Fil-Ams Pringle and Cabagnot.

The Nationals, however, would surely love the test that could help them in their buildup for their games versus Chinese Taipei and Australia in the third window of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Meanwhile, Former MVP winner Asi Taulava leads the big men showing their stuffs in the Obstacle Challenge.

Sonny Thoss, Raymond Aguilar, JP Erram, Kelly Nabong, Russell Escoto, Ken Bono, Justin Chua, Aldrech Ramos, Beau Belga, Gabby Espinas and Yousef Taha are also entered in one of the keenly awaited All-Star skills events.

Titleholder Maliksi and former champs Romeo and James Yap banner the cast of top guns vying for the Three-Point Shootout crown.

Also to challenge the champ are Lassiter, Lee, Wright, Tenorio, Pringle, Alaska’s Jvee Casio, Columbian Dyip’s Ronald Tubid, Meralco’s KG Canaleta, and NLEX’s Larry Fonacier.

To engage in a dunking battle are titleholder Chris Newsome, former champ Rey Guevarra, and challengers Mat Rosser, Marion Magat, Renz Palma and Lervin Flores.