Team Japeth, Team Mark end PBA All-Star showdown in draw

Team Mark Barroca’s Robert Bolick came alive in the clutch as they forced a draw against Team Japeth Aguilar, 140-140, to close out the 2024 PBA All-Star weekend showdown on Sunday at the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod.

Down 140-131, the NLEX star buried a long bomb in the final 34.6 seconds of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to just five at 140-135. Bolick then connected on a long basket anew and drew a foul from Calvin Oftana to complete a five-point play and force a deadlock at 140-all.

Neither team could come up with a final basket as the game ended up in a stalemate.

Though Team Mark wasn’t able to get the win, it was a huge comeback effort from the Jorge Gallent-led squad as they erased a huge deficit early in the game, which once saw them deep in a 26-point hole before they regrouped in the second half. 

Team Japeth, on the other hand, wasted an early upper hand in the payoff period. 

Aguilar scored nailed back-to-back alley-oop dunks off the dimes from Terrence Romeo to deliver six quick points and a 136-119 cushion. Team Mark, though, had a counter attack courtesy of a 21-2 closing rampage. 

A dunk made in this year’s edition is equivalent to three points, one of the new offerings the league made for the annual festivities.

—Bea Micaller/JKC, GMA Integrated News