BACOLOD -Team Japeth and Team Mark ended up in a stalemate, 140-140, in a thrilling conclusion to the PBA All-Star Bacolod 2024 witnessed by a sold-out crowd at the University of St. La Salle Coliseum, Sunday night.
Robert Bolick dealt the biggest of blows in the endgame, converting a rare five-point play off a Calvin Oftana foul with 17.8 seconds remaining to tie things up after Barroca and Co. trailed by as much as 31 points.
Oftana tried to make up for that blunder by going for the game-winning layup against CJ Perez with 3.2 seconds left. But he missed, and Bolick was there to collar the rebound as Team Mark went on to seal the result.
The league no longer decided to play an overtime period and instead gave Php 150,000 to each team. The same amount was given to both squads for the traditional All-Star dance-off, which was held before tip-off.
With the All-Star Game ending up tied for the third time in league history, Aguilar and Bolick were named co-ASG MVPs and received P30,000 apiece.
Bolick finished with 13 points, 10 of which he made in the fourth quarter that saw him score Team Mark’s last nine points to send the game to a draw.
Top-scoring for Team Mark was CJ Perez with 39 points, including 28 in the second period alone to lead their rally from a 56-24 deficit. He went 7-of-11 from the four-point area and also had three rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
It was the most points scored in a quarter in a PBA All-Star Game since the ASG was institutionalized, per league stats chief Fidel Mangonon III.
Team captain Barroca supplied 20 points, four rebounds, and seven assists. Calvin Abueva delivered a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.
June Mar Fajardo produced 17 points and seven rebounds while Rookie Ricci Rivero was solid in his maiden ASG with 15 points and six rebounds.
Leading Team Japeth, on the other hand, was Roger Pogoy with 25 points. Marcio Lassiter had 24 points while Aguilar made 21 points.
Jamie Malonzo had 17 points, including 15 in the first quarter to star in their 46-point explosion, while Arvin Tolentino and former three-time All-Star MVP Terrence Romeo chipped in 13 and 11 markers, respectively.
The Scores:
Team Japeth (140) – Pogoy 25, Lassiter 24, Aguilar 21, Malonzo 17, Tolentino 13, Romeo 11, Lee 9, Newsome 7, Oftana 7, Trollano 2, Pringle 2, Dionisio 2, Ahanmisi 0.
Team Mark (140) – Perez 39, Barroca 20, Abueva 18, Fajardo 17, Rivero 15, Bolick 13, Perkins 9, Tiongson 3, Jalalon 2, Hodge 2, Sangalang 2, Norwood 0, Castro 0, Yap 0, Pinto 0.
Quarterscores: 46-20; 79-68; 111-104; 140-140.
