Cager’s skills, flair real fare in PBA 1-on-1

The individual skills of the Philippine Basketball Association’s most athletic players come to the fore in an entirely different setting when the league holds the King of the Hardcourt One-on-One showdown beginning Sunday.

Talk N’ Text giant Asi Taulava, former MVP Danny Ildefonso of San Miguel and firebrands Willie Miller of Red Bull and Mark Caguioa of Ginebra are just some of the names that have cast their lot in this two-division sideshow that is expected to demand a lot from every facet of the player’s game.

"I’m sure this will be an exciting treat for our fans and a lot of fun for the players as well," said PBA commissioner Noli Eala.

"We’ve seen these players perform in a team setting. Now, we’ll see them play in a playground-type of an environment, the kind they played before they became professionals."

This year’s revival event is expected to be nothing less, especially with all the teams consenting to field their best available players in the mini-tournament that will be played in between league double-headers.

This early, highly anticipated matches — assuming they get by their elims matches — are those between Taulava and Ildefonso in the Commissioner’s group and Miller against either Caguioa or Jeffrey Cariaso in the other bracket.

First round matches in the Commissioner’s Division for players 6-4 and over pits Raffi Reavis (Coca-Cola) against Anthony dela Cruz (Shell) on Sunday; Davonn Harp (Red Bull) vs Jun Limpot (Ginebra) on Sept. 19; Taulava vs Don Allado (Alaska) on Sept. 26; Ildefonso vs Kerby Raymundo (Purefoods) on Sept. 28 and Yancy de Ocampo (FedEx) against Dennis Espino (Sta. Lucia) on Oct. 1.

In the Governors’ Division for players under 6-4, Caguioa plays Shell’s Chris Calaguio on Sept. 17; Gherome Ejercito of FedEx takes on Sta. Lucia’s Francis Adriano on Sept. 21; Alaska’s Brandon Cablay battles San Miguel Beer’s Joey Mente on Oct. 3; Miller squares off with Purefoods’ Rey Evangelista on Oct. 5 and Cariaso meets TNT’s Jimmy Alapag on Oct. 8.

The revised format, the knockout-style competition and the big prizes are also expected to guarantee first-class duels.

Playing five-minute games with 18-second shotclocks, the players can work on different options on the floor with three points being awarded for a three-point shot, and a dunk and four for a shot in a designated spot 28 feet away from the goal.

The ‘shootback’ rule will be applied.

Points scored the elims will also be a premium since it will determine who will be seeded automatically into the semis of both divisions. The four other first-round winners will figure in another round of knockout matches to determine the two other qualifiers to the round-robin semifinals.

Cash prizes will escalate as players win. Quarterfinalists are guaranteed P10,000’ semifinalists P25,000; finalists P50,000 while the winners of the two brackets can cash a check for P150,000.

First round losers get P5,000.