PBA IMAGES
Gilas Pilipinas settled for a 114-draw against the PBA Mindanao All-Stars on Wednesday in its first official game since the national team pool convened last month.
Mark Barroca buried the game-tying 3-pointer from the top of the key with 49.8 seconds left while Gilas guard Terrence Romeo misfired on a forced jumper and Scottie Thompson missed a contested layup before time ran out.
Gilas rallied from 10 points down in the third quarter that paved the way for a thrilling finish that had the frenzied fans at Xavier University gym in Cagayan De Oro on the edge of their seats.
PBA All-Stars forward Troy Rosario and Gilas’ Matthew Wright shared MVP honors. Rosario led all scorers with 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field while Wright had 22 points, making eight of his 10 attempts, that went with four steals.
The last time the All-Star Game ended in a tie was in 2013 in Digos.
The game was competitive from the opening tip as the PBA selection vowed to give the national team a good workout in preparation for the coming SEABA Championship next month. The score was tied at 24 after the first quarter.
June Mar Fajardo posted a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds while Roger Pogoy notched 14 points and 13 rebounds for Gilas.
PJ Simon and Barroca scored 14 and 13 points, respectively.
This year’s All-Star shifts to Lucena at Quezon Convention Center on Friday for the Luzon leg.