Asi, Alapag play one last time in All-Star

PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines – Jimmy Alapag plays his official farewell game, and longtime buddy Asi Taulava – still an All-Star player at 42 – vows to make it a memorable run, adding extra meaning in the All-Star Game that culminates the 26th PBA All-Star Week at the City Coliseum here tonight.

Alapag and Taulava, players who have fought many battles together in the PBA and with the national team, banner the South team that look to strike back at the North squad in the return of the North-South duel in the annual mid-season spectacle.

“One last round with Jimmy, and we’ll go all out,” said Taulava, himself hitting a milestone in playing an unprecedented 13th All-Star Game.

Tip off is at 5 p.m. in the match ushered in by the retirement rites for Alapag, many-time PBA All-Star, national player, one-time PBA Season MVP winner and one-time All-Star MVP awardee now serving as team manager of the Talk n Text Tropang Texters.

Thus, this All-Star Game has become a little personal, and not just the normal fight for pride and bragging rights among the league’s best and brightest.

But fun will still be there plus the players’ interaction with the fans.

Fun begins during the player callout highlighted by what has become a traditional dance showdown between the opposing All-Star teams. At stake this year is P100,000 cash prize for the winner and P50,000 for the loser.

“Sa kanila na ang game, amin yung (dance) contest (They can win the game; ours is the dance contest),” North starting forward Marc Pingris said in jest during the press conference Thursday.

The two teams have prepared their stuff with Arwind Santos choreographing for the North team and Joe Devance for the South.

In the game, Pingris, Santos and his teammates seek to repeat their triumph here in 2010 and in Boracay the following year before the North-South format gave way to different All-Star themes from 2012-2014.

Pingris, the 2012 All-Star MVP, takes his usual spot in the North starting five with Purefoods teammate Justin Melton, Alaska’s Calvin Abueva, Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar and Talk n Text’s Jayson Castro, going up against Taulava, Devance, Greg Slaughter, Mark Barroca and James Yap.

North coach Leo Austria will also have at his disposal Santos, Paul Lee, Terrence Romeo, Gabe Norwood, Ranidel de Ocampo, Beau Belga, LA Tenorio while South coach Alex Compton has a reserve crew that includes Alapag, Jeff Chan, Cyrus Baguio, Stanley Pringle, Reynel Hugnatan and PJ Simon.

Out on injuries are Mark Caguioa, Junemar Fajardo and Dondon Hontiveros.

Aside from  Pingris, other past All-Star MVPs seeing action in the game are Taulava, Alapag, Yap, Chan, Santos, Norwood and Simon.

“Our guys look to have fun but at the same time are eager to win the game,” said Austria, hinting at the North stars coming out strong to spoil the Alapag-Taulava party.

“Sabi sa akin nung mga players ‘coach kunin natin ito,’” Austria also said.

The Philippine Cup champion coach feels they have a deeper bench.

“South has a solid seven to eight players. They have Asi and Slaughter as starting frontline players pero malaki ang ililiit nila pag palit ni Hugnatan at Devance,” Austria pointed out.

“As for our team, we still have Ranidel de Ocampo, Beau Belga, Gabe Norwood and Arwind Santos coming off the bench,” Austria added.