GILAS Pilipinas charged back from an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to salvage a 124-124 tie against the PBA All-Stars last night, a thrilling match that capped the 2013 PBA All-Star Week at the Davao del Sur Sports Coliseum in Digos City.
Jeff Chan saved the Nationals from the jaws of defeat by sinking a booming triple with six-tenths of second left.
The PBA All-Stars, coached by Luigi Trillo of the Alaska Aces, sued for time but they failed to execute in the final play as KG Canaleta’s inbounds went awry.
Chan and Arwind Santos of the PBA All-Stars were named co-Most Valuable Players.
Santos led the PBA All-Stars’ terrific start, scoring seven points in the team’s 9-2 start. Gilas Pilipinas took a 66-65 halftime lead but the PBA All-Stars staged furious run in the fourth to post the game’s only double-digit lead, 101-90.
The PBA All-Stars were still ahead by six, 122-116, with only 44.2 seconds left but the Nationals refused to give up.
Gary David buried a triple to bring the Nationals to within three. Gilas Pilipinas then forced Jvee Castro into a turnover then Jayson Castro sank two freethrows, cutting the PBA All-Stars’ lead to a hairline, 122-121, with 14.9 ticks to go.
Casio atoned himself from the crucial error by canning two gift shots, restoring a three-point PBA All–Stars lead with 13.7 seconds left in the clock.
Ranidel de Ocampo’s three-point shot in the next play ended up getting pinned by the backboard and the ring, resulting into a jumpball. The Nationals retained the ball after the tip, setting up Chan’s game-tying trifecta./EDITORIAL ASSISTANT CALVIN D. CORDOVA