Record-setting victory for veterans over RSJ

Laoag– The only thing that was a “thriller” in the PBA All-Star Game last night was the dance number put up by the Veterans.

After gyrating to that immortal Michael Jackson mega-hit to announce their entry, the Veterans were unchallenged all night and ripped the Rookies-Sophomores-Juniors (RSJ) squad, 176-144, in a record-setting night that brought the curtains down on the league’s annual festivities.

The RSJ was simply no match for the big and seasoned Veterans, who practically toyed with their younger counterparts in the revival of the match-up that was appreciated by the fans that braved the heat at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena here.

It was also the Veterans who provided showtime in the game, with Gabe Norwood and Arwind Santos connecting on several electrifying dunks, and James Yap presiding upon an outside onslaught that the RSJ couldn’t match.

Yap and sophomore Dylan Ababou now own the highest-scoring individual performances in the history of the game after shooting 44 points apiece to lead their respective sides. Yap was later on adjudged as the MVP.

Samboy Lim held the old record of 42 points scored in the 1990 edition when the Veterans coached by Robert Jaworski won, 146-118, which was also the previous biggest winning margin in history. The Veterans’ output was the most by any team in any format of the All-Star Game, easily eclipsing the 163 scored by the South in an overtime victory over the North, which scored 158, in 2008 in Bacolod.

The Veterans were connecting with impunity from the outside in the first period and completed electrifying alley-oop and follow-up dunks in the second to open up a 95-64 lead at the half.

“It’s always nice to coach the Veterans because you can go to cruise control for most parts of the game,” winning coach Ryan Gregorio of Meralco said.

“Like everyone else, I am an interested spectator and we wanted to win the game and set new records.”

BOX SCORES:

Veterans 176 – Yap 44, Santos 31, David 16, Cabagnot 16, Intal 15, Mercado 14, Tenorio 13, Norwood 13, Taulava 6, Thoss 5, Pingris 3.

RSJ 144 – Ababou 44, Urbiztondo 21, Casio 18, Maierhofer 12, Baracael 11, Barocca 10, Al-Hussaini 9, Lee 8, Ross 8, Lassiter 3./inquirer