Macapagal bags third straight title

Laoag City—Mark Macapagal of Meralco was again crowned as the PBA’s best outside shot yesterday, and with his third straight 3-Point Shootout win in the annual All-Star Weekend, could easily lay claim to be one of the greatest in the event.

Macapagal wrapped up the title after converting the money ball worth two points in the fourth rack, finishing with 15 points to easily eclipse the 13s of Barangay Ginebra’s KG Canaleta and B-Meg’s Josh Urbiztondo.

Marcio Lassiter, the rookie who transferred to Petron Blaze late last month, shot last but could only manage seven before a good-sized crowd at the steaming Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena here.

“Definitely, I will join next year and try to extend the record,” Macapagal told reporters after becoming the first three-time winner of the event. “It would be a great challenge.”

Allan Caidic, Jasper Ocampo and Boyet Fernandez, now all retired, were the other two-time winners of the 3-Point Shootout.

OBSTACLE CHAMP

B-Meg’s Jonas Villanueva also made it three straight in the Obstacle Challenge after nipping Paul Lee by two-tenths of a second with his time of 31.1 seconds despite missing one jumpshot.

Lee, the Rain or Shine rookie, clocked 31.2 seconds even with two missed jumpers.

Macapagal and Villanueva each won P20,000 for their efforts in the event that gathered all of the league’s brightest stars.

Meanwhile, Asi Taulava and Mac Cardona of Meralco have been tapped to replace Jimmy Alapag and Ranidel de Ocampo in the centerpiece All-Star Game tomorrow after both Talk ’N Text aces elected to rest than make the trip here.

REYES TRADED

In a related league development, Jay-R Reyes, the underachieving former University of the Philippines slotman, will find his way to a third team in Meralco after a deal with Alaska was approved in principle by commissioner Chito Salud yesterday.

Gabby Espinas, who won the NCAA MVP and Rookie of the Year on the same season, will join the Aces starting the Governors’ Cup on May 20. Draft picks have also been included in the deal.

The rights included in the deal would be for either team which owns the higher pick in the Draft to trade the rights to the other in the proceedings scheduled sometime in August. /INQUIRER Musong R. Castillo