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PBA All-Star: Speed key North's win over South


Puerto Princesa City – Mac Cardona was the most productive player, Gabe Norwood provided the highlight reels and the North All-Stars outsprinted and outhustled their rivals from the South.
The South All-Stars' Sonny Thoss, left, eludes the defense of North team's Mark Cardona while going for a layup during their PBA-All-Star Game in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. GMANews.TV
Playing without a legitimate center, coach Ryan Gregorio’s North squad used its speed and free-flowing offensive style to score a 133-130 win over the taller South team of Tim Cone in the annual PBA All-Star Game at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum. Cardona scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth period but it was Norwood who stole the show as the Rain or Shine guard delighted the full-house crowd with a number of gravity-defying shots. Norwood’s last basket, with 3:04 left, was a baseline two-handed slam that gave the North selection a 129-123 lead that proved to be enough cushion to secure the win. "I never expected this," said Norwood shortly after being named the most valuable player (MVP) of the 2010 All-Star game. “I thought somebody else would grab it, but I feel grateful to be chosen." The 2008-09 season rookie of the year (ROY) winner finished with 17 points, including eight in the first five minutes of the opening period to give the North squad a 23-16 edge. In the second half, the South team, behind Kelly Williams, Cyrus Baguio and Sonny Thoss, turned on the heat and even grabbed a 101-97 lead with 2:27 left in the third period. But a 7-0 run by the North, capped by a Willie Miller trey, put the Luzon-based squad up by three, 104-101, and both squads traded baskets all through out the final stages of the match. "We used our quickness to the hilt to offset our height disadvantage," said Gregorio, who improved his All-Star win-loss record to 2-1.
James Yap of the South selection approaches their frontcourt during their PBA-All-Star Game against the North team in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. GMANews.TV
Tim Cone, who was assigned to handle the South for the eighth time, the most by any coach, absorbed his fourth loss in the annual PBA spectacle. NBA commissioner David Stern also sent his congratulations to Filipino counterpart Sonny Barrios for the PBA’s 35th anniversary and staging another successful All-Star weekend. "Our valued relationship with the PBA goes back many years. In that time, your league has played an important role in basketball’s global growth, substantially raising its profile in the Philippines and throughout Asia," said Stern in his letter to Barrios. Meanwhile, the trio of three-point shootout champion Mark Macpagal, Yousif Aljamal and Jeff Chan scored a 51-29 walloping against the triumvirate of four-time MVP Alvin Patrimonio, Kenneth Duremdes and Rhoel Gomez in the Legends Shootout. – Rey Joble, GMANews.TV
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