Smart NBA All-Stars 131, PBA All-stars 105
-Such a rare sight to see Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose play together. Even though we have seen the usual Kobe Bryant moves (his dunks and his shake-n-bake jumper over Arwind Santos), one of that night's highlights was the play he set in order to give space for Derrick Rose and dish it to the MVP for a dunk. This is one thing that one wouldn't see in an All-Star game, assuming that Rose wouldn't cross borders and go over the West.
-Heads up to Arwind Santos who did most of the scoring throughout the game, as he played as a two or three and tried to match the energy level of the NBA players. Sol Mercado should be given credit as well, who did a few splendid plays when NBA Union president Derek Fisher was guarding him. Were they trying to catch the eyes of the team scouts who went along with Bryant and the rest of the Smart All- stars? Hmm.
-Despite the fact that it is an exhibition game, it was quite satisfying that the locals aren't totally intimidated with the NBA stars. The 5'10" L.A. Tenorio even tried to drive past three Smart All-Stars for a lay-up, which unfortunately missed. Although taken lightly, this event somehow suggests that we can really match the intensity of the NBA games, despite the fact that Filipino players will just be totally owned by the guys from the NBA when taken seriously.
-For one night, JaVale McGee became an in-game dunker for real. He had a lot of jams in the game, thanks to the likes of Chris Paul and James Harden who gave him alley-oop passes. Late at the game, he delivered a huge tomahawk and ran from one end to another, just in time to block Rabeh Al-Hussaini. Magnificent. Hopefully, he can do this in the NBA.
-Kobe, to a certain extent, took seriously the job of a player-coach. He became more of a distributor than primary scorer, and he was the one who worked out the substitution scheme for the Smart All-Stars.
-Derrick Williams is a real talent, and the Filipino basketball community is lucky enough to have witnessed a sneak preview of what he can do in the NBA. He can shoot. He can do flash passes. He can score from the inside. Will he be the showtime player of this year's batch of rookies? Well, we haven't seen top draft Kyrie Irving yet, so it's too early to judge.
-In the middle of the second quarter, the lineup of the PBA All-Stars was composed of the following: Ryan Reyes, L.A. Tenorio, Larry Fonacier, JC Intal, and Rabeh Al-Hussaini. Perhaps it's not surprising that there are four former Blue Eagles alums playing together against NBA stars. Wasn't there any Lasallian? But then again, we're talking about an MVP Foundation-sponsored event, so it's not totally surprising at all. It feels good to go back to the struggling yet glorious days of the Blue Eagles, post-2002 championship, and here were those who proudly donned the white and blue, bringing out their best against America's finest ballers.
-It was an amazing night for everyone, most especially for the PBA stars who had the great honor of playing against these great players. They even had to stop their warmup to watch the Smart All-Stars have their own (with a few of them putting on a show with their dunks). Al-Hussaini was spotted entering the court with a large illustration board, where he asked the Smart All-Stars for an autograph and trotting like a seven year old kid in the court before the game.
Photo from the Chicago Tribune
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