DIGOS CITY -- The PBA Mindanao All Stars are looking look to play like the Smart PBA All Stars in a bid to beat them.
"We'll look like Gilas than Gilas themselves. We'll be the small team playing a team like the Australians. We'll play Gilas style," said PBA Mindanao coach Tim Cone ahead of the kickoff of the 2018 PBA All-Star series at the Davao del Sur Coliseum here Wednesday night.
Cone has former players Mark Barroca, PJ Simon, Rafi Reavis, Sonny Thoss and Cyrus Baguio to lead the Mindanao team that challenges Team Phl in the Digos stop of the mid-season classic with Phoenix Fuel with Phoenix Pulse Technology as major sponsor.
Game time is at 7 p.m. shortly after the Legends Shootout featuring four shooting tandems in Allan Caidic/Secretary Bong Go, Kenneth Duremdes/Senator Manny Pacquiao, Peter June Simon/Presidential son-in-law Mans Carpio, and Scottie Thompson/Major Michael Sabsal.
Governor Mark Cagas will be a special guest at ringside to open the initial leg of the three-phase event also backed by Peak Sports Apparel, Molten, PBA Rush-Cignal, Nature's Spring, TAGHeuer, Gatorade, and Rain or Shine.
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Scottie Thompson, Mac Belo, Baser Amer, Poy Erram, RR Garcia and Carlo Lastimosa complete the regional all stars that will try to duplicate the 114-114 deadlock the Mindanao squad scored versus Gilas Pilipinas over in Cagayan de Oro City last year. Gilas won the two other matches versus the Luzon All-Stars in Lucena and against the Visayan All Stars in Cebu in 2017.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial looks forward to a fun-filled, action-packed reprise of the Gilas-PBA All Stars series.
"Sobrang excited ako dahil this is my first All-Star as league commissioner. I used to handle this event as project director," said Marcial.
Black, who's handling Smart PBA All Stars here, is excited to be back as PBA All-Star head coach. He's on his fifth PBA All Stars but just the first in 21 long years.
Curiously, Black and Cone, among the league's most winningest coaches, are figuring in an All-Star coaching showdown for the very first time.
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But they now it's not about them, but the All Stars having fun and putting up a show for the fans.
"It's always fun coaching the All-Star game. There's not a lot of pressure because people are more concerned about having fun," said Cone.
"It's especially fun for me because I will be with a lot of guys that I used to coach. PJ, Mark, Sonny, Rafi and Cyrus are all here and I have a chance to coach them again. That's exciting," Cone added. "They're five triangle guys. They can run the triangle. Whether we do that or not, I don't know."
Making up the Smart PBA All Star roster here are June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Troy Rosario, Calvin Abueva, Carl Bryan Cruz, Gabe Norwood, Allein Maliksi, Matthew Wright, Kiefer Ravena, Terrence Romeo and Jayson Castro.
