The PBA’s best and brightest delivered a fun and exciting showcase on Friday in the sidelights just before the All-Star Game on Sunday. In the end, Terrafirma Dyip’s Jerrick Ahanmisi, Magnolia Hotshots’ Jerom Lastimosa, and Meralco Bolts’ Brandon Bates were arguably the night’s big winners.
Jerrick Ahanmisi Nets Impressive Double Win
Terrafirma’s chief gunner, Jerrick Ahanmisi, shone brightest on Friday, winning both the Obstacle Course, guards edition, and the Three-Point Shootout.
Ahanmisi started his night by ruling the Obstacle Course for the guards with a pristine run that saw him complete the course in 24.94 seconds. His time was a full two seconds better than runner-up Dalph Panopio of Blackwater Bossing, who finished his run in 26.97. Curiously, Jerrick won the same event his brother, Maverick, won in the 2016 PBA All-Star Weekend.
A little later, Jerrick Ahanmisi bested the league’s top snipers with a golden shooting display at the Three-Point Shootout. The Terrafirma marksman actually barely made it to the finals, doing so only after scoring 22 points to leapfrog Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s Ralph Cu and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters’ Andrei Caracut.
Then, in the finals, he needed 26 points to win after San Miguel Beermen’s Marcio Lassiter dropped 25 and looked on his way to his first-ever Three-Point Shootout crown. But Ahanmisi made his first three shots and 13 of his first 16 on his way to tying—and then surpassing—Lassiter in the penultimate rack. The 28-year-old finished with 30 for his second gold of the night.
Earlier, Meralco big man Brandon Bates ruled the big man edition of the Obstacle course, and he did so by besting NLEX Road Warriors center Brandon Ramirez and Magnolia Hotshots pivot James Laput. Like Ahanmisi, Bates also had a pristine run to clock in at 22.86 seconds.
Rookies/Sophomores Get Better of Juniors
In Friday’s main event, the league’s top rookies and sophomores bested their junior counterparts, 154-150, in a game that was close throughout. Jerom Lastimosa led the way with 27 big points, including a troika of triples to start the fourth and give the Rookies/Sophomores the separation they needed to secure the win.
Brandon Ramirez and Kai Ballungay added 26 and 20, respectively, with the latter ramming home a couple of highlight dunks. PBA legends Arwin Santos and Willie Miller, called up to reinforce the Rookies/Sophomores, chipped in 14 and 4, respectively.
The Juniors’ Ricci Rivero led all scorers with 30, while Schonny Winston put up 29. Marc Pingris, tapped to reinforce the Juniors alongside Ranidel de Ocampo, had 6, while RDO went scoreless.
