The final game of the 2018 PBA All-Star came to an end with the Visayas All-Stars standing tall over the SMART All-Star National Team, 157-141, Sunday evening at the University of San Agustin Gymnasium in Iloilo City.
The mid-season spectacle ended with the PBA All-Stars winning over SMART in three games, 2-1.
Bacolod-born Jeffrei Chan was named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, as the Phoenix Fuel Masters sharpshooter led the winning side with 29 points on 52 percent shooting along with seven rebounds.
Terrence Romeo — the Batangas City leg’s All-Star Game MVP, as he fired an All-Star record 48 points in SMART’s 152-149 victory over Luzon All-Stars — backed up his fellow FEU Tamaraw with 27 markers on top of six assists and five rebounds.
Visayas started to seize control of the bout in the second frame, but it was in the third canto where they broke away. A Jericho Cruz three-pointer in the 4:04 mark elevated Visayas to a 16-point, 107-91 advantage.
The Visayans’ lead ballooned to as much as 20 points, 138-118, with 5:07 remaining in the final frame after nine unanswered points, which was punctated by reigning Three-Point Shootout champion James Yap’s triple.
The Nationals tried to stage one last rally as they closed within striking distance, 139-146, after Matthew Wright’s triple with 1:07 to go, but a triple and lay-up by Chan restored Visayas’ lead to 12, 151-139, to put the game away for good.
Cruz posted the 2018 All-Star Week’s second triple-double — next to Jio Jalalon — as he finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. He also had a pair of steals in the 25 minutes and 29 seconds he played.
Yap chipped in 17 markers, while Ronald Tubid turned the hands of time a bit as he produced 15 points. June Mar Fajardo, who had a handful of highlights that included fancy dribbles and euro steps, made 14 points and 18 rebounds.
Visayas played without top rookie Kiefer Ravena, as he had been ordered by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to fly back to Manila for still-unspecified reasons. It spoiled what could have been his homecoming game in Iloilo.
Chris Ross suited up in lieu of the NLEX Road Warriors’ combo guard. The San Miguel Beermen floor general had eight markers and 10 rebounds.
SMART’s loss wasted the beastly performance of Calvin Abueva, as the Alaska Aces star posted 41 points and an All-Star record of 27 rebounds. Wright showed all-around wits ,as he made 28 points, nine boards, and seven dimes.
Japeth Aguilar made 20 points for the Nationals, while sophomore cagers Roger Pogoy and Mac Belo scored 15 and 12 markers, respectively, and combined for 14 rebounds.
The Scores:
Visayas (157) – Chan 29, Romeo 27, Cruz 20, Yap 17, Tubid 15, Fajardo 14, Slaughter 11, Ross 8, Quinahan 7, Monfort 5, Taulava 4.
SMART (141) – Abueva 41, Wright 28, Aguilar 20, Pogoy 15, Rosario 13, Belo 12, Castro 8, Norwood 2, Jalalon 2.
Quarterscores: 33-36, 80-73, 115-103, 157-141.
