Old guards outshine young Turks

CAGAYAN DE ORO — For the best shooters of the current generation of PBA stars, beating dead-shots from the past in a shootout remained an elusive dream.

Local pride Jojo Lastimosa teamed up with Ricric Marata and Boybits Victoria as they showed up Olsen Racela, James Yap and Renren Ritualo in the Legends Shootout of the Hope 2006 PBA All-Star Extravaganza before a huge cheering crowd at the Xavier U gym here last night.

The last man to shoot, Lastimosa provided the climactic ending in the classic shooting contest, overcoming tremendous pressure as he fired 14 points to give the Old Warriors a 42-41 thriller of a win over the youngsters.

The 1988 Rookie of the Year banged in the clincher with the fourth ball in the last rack, sending the crowd to a frenzied celebration as their proud kababayan and his teammates kept the mastery of retired players over active ballers in this event introduced in this annual mid-season spectacle in 2004 in Cebu.

The team of Allan Caidic, Al Solis, Boy Cabahug and Rhoel Gomez triumphed in Cebu. Alvin Patrimonio, Frankie Lim and Ronnie Magsanoc took their turn to humble young rivals in Laoag last year.

Victoria and Marata gave the Legends a decisive headway as they hit 16 and 12 points, respectively, as against Ritualo’s 13 and James Yap’s 11.

But Racela put gnawing pressure on Lastimosa when the San Miguel guard – runner-up to William Antonio in the regular three-point shootout competition Friday — tossed in 17 points. Antonio was a no-show last night.

Lastimosa, however, showed steely nerves as he scored the needed points to lift his team in the side event in the All-Star Extravaganza hosted by the Misamis Oriental provincial government and sponsored by Hope in cooperation with Xtreme Magic Sing and Welcoat Paints.

The event is also backed by Sunbolt sports drink, Mentos, Chowking, Accel and Air21.

Known as a clutch shooter in his heydays in a colorful career in the league, Lastimosa actually rattled in two other baskets nullified for stepping violation.

"I was not really known as a three-point shooter. But I just couldn’t turn down invitation to be part of this event. This is for the PBA fans," said Lastimosa.

In another appetizer for the main event the North vs South All-Star Game, the PBA team and the Northern Mindanao Executives fought to an 86-all draw.

PBA commissioner Noli Eala and media men including Jason Webb, Richard del Rosario, Jun Navarro, Noli Cortez, Zean Macamay and this writer led the PBA team against the host squad bannered by Gov. Oscar Moreno, Mayor Bambi Emano and former FEU standout Ramonito Roa.

The PBA squad failed to convert a basket in the last 19 seconds leading to the draw in the closely-fought match.

"It was a close game and we all had fun," said unassuming Moreno, who drew big cheers from the crowd in one instance when he got a map and himself wiped a wet portion on the floor.