Abueva headlines Gilas lineup vs. Mindanao All-Stars

Coach Tim Cone sees Calvin Abueva as a major force for Gilas Pilipinas as the latter is part of the national pool lineup that will go to Digos, Davao del Sur for the first leg of the PBA All-Star Week on May 23. (Photo By Abdel20 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA — Coach Tim Cone sees Calvin Abueva as a major force for Gilas Pilipinas as the latter is part of the national pool lineup that will go to Digos, Davao del Sur for the first leg of the PBA All-Star Week on May 23.

“The guy that really hurt us in the proper time was Calvin. He had a big stretch in the third quarter when he turned the game around for us. We didn’t have a good matchup for him and he got himself going,” Cone said on Friday, recalling Abueva’s performance when he coached the Visayas All-Stars in last year’s All-Star Game in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

This time, Cone will handle the Mindanao All-Stars, but he will once again face off with Abueva at the start of the three-game All-Star series that will also have stops in the cities of Batangas and Iloilo.

Joining Abueva in the Gilas team are Junemar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Troy Rosario, Terrence Romeo, Carl Cruz, Gabe Norwood, Allein Maliksi, Matt Wright, RR Pogoy, Jayson Castro, and Kiefer Ravena.

Cone’s Mindanao All-Stars consist of Scottie Thompson, Mark Barroca, PJ Simon, Jio Jalalon, Mac Belo, Baser Amer, Cyrus Baguio, Sonny Thoss, Rafi Reavis, Poy Erram, RR Garcia, and Carlo Lastimosa.

Simon will take part in a halftime shootout as he will team up with presidential son-in-law Mans Carpio.

The duo will take on the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League tandem of founder Manny Pacquiao and commissioner Kenneth Duremdes and the pair of Bong Go and Allan Caidic.