Justin Arana came into the Blitz Game with just one thing in mind: Win it all for Team Greats.
With pride at stake in a fun match between rookies, sophomores and juniors that serves as an appetizer to the Philippine Basketball Association All-Star Game, Arana was all business at the University of St. La Salle gymnasium in Bacolod City late Saturday.
It was Arana’s burly presence inside that propelled Team Greats to a second win in a row over Team Stalwarts, 142-133, in the second staging of the event featuring up-and-coming PBA stars.
“My mindset heading into the game is to make it 2-0, not 1-1,” Arana, last year’s Rookie of the Year, said.
Arana, who was also instrumental in Team Greats’ 158-138 win last year in Passi, Iloilo, was named the Blitz Game Most Valuable Player after tallying 36 points to go with eight rebounds.
His total output came four points short of tying Encho Serrano’s production in a losing cause in the previous edition.
Arana received P30,000 cash prize for bagging the MVP honors while Team Greats handled by Patrick Patrosa, received P100,000 for the victory.
Jerrick Ahanmisi and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser ignited the breakaway run in the fourth quarter to balloon Team Greats’ lead to 12 with under two minutes left.
“It’s just total team effort. We backed each other up,” Arana said.
“We’re cheering for each other and, of course, enjoyed this game. We just stuck with our coaches’ game plan.”
Ganuelas-Rosser had 23 points highlighted by a couple of three-point slam dunks while Ahanmisi got 21 markers for Team Greats, who took control of the game following a third quarter surge.
Team Stalwarts settled for the consolation P50,000.
TNT rookie Kim Aurin paced Team Stalwarts with 23 markers while Obstacle Challenge champion JM Calma added 22 for the Peter Martin-mentored Team Stalwarts.
Meanwhile, Calvin Oftana dethroned Paul Lee with his steady hands in the three-point shootout for guards.
The TNT sniper racked up 25 points in the final to beat Magnolia’s Lee, who had 20, and Meralco’s Chris Newsome (15).
Oftana, barely made it to the final after scoring 22 in the eliminations, was the last to shoot in the final and already surpassed Lee in the fourth rack.
Raymond Almazan of Meralco, on the other hand, was named the inaugural long-distance shootout for big men champion.
Almazan scored 19 in the final to edge out Christian David of Blackwater and Isaac Go of Terrafirma, who had 15 and 13 markers, respectively, in the final.
