JaVale McGee leads as NBA Stars rout PBA All-Stars 131-105 in game-1 of the Philippines tourney
Playing at the Araneta Coliseum, Manila, in front of a sell-out crowd, NBA’s star studded team annihilated the PBA All-Star 131-105 in the series opener of the Ultimate NBA All-Star Weekend on Saturday night.
The NBA roster dominated the opposition with their high flying dunks, incredible athleticism and outstanding passing abilities. The PBA All-Stars had some winning moments in the start of the game, however once the NBA pro’s got it going, the Filipinos came crashing down.
JaVale McGee was the surprise package on the night. In a team boasting of players like Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant, the Washington Wizards big led the way with a game-high 25 points and 12 rebounds. The scoring machine of NBA, Kevin Durant finished off with 22 points.
Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant, who was also the coach of the NBA All-Stars, joined the action for a short time and impressed the crowd with his electrifying dunks. Bryant ended the game with 12 points. Veteran Lakers point guard Derek Fisher was the only NBA player who failed to land a bucket.
On the other hand, Arwind Santos was the only PBA All-Star player who scored in double-figures. Santos shared a game-high 25 points with McGee.
Arwind managed to put his team on the frontline in the preliminary minutes of the first quarter by orchestrating a14-12 lead. However, Durant took over in the period that followed and propelled the NBA team to a 30-26 lead at the end of the first quarter.
There was no stopping for the NBA stars after the first period and they never trailed throughout the game. By the time, the first half ended, the NBA team were ahead by 16 at 66-50.
The NBA stars showed their true colours after halftime, and scorched the Filipinos with a 41 point blitz. The home team only managed to cut down the deficit by 3 points in the fourth quarter as the Smart All-Stars romped towards a comprehensive 131-105 win.
Kobe Bryant thanked the crowd who came to watch the exhibition game and said, “It's an honour to be here. Thanks for coming out. It's gonna be fun, hope you guys enjoy the show,”
Tags: