Mark faces top gunners in 3-point shootout

MANILA, Philippines - Coca-Cola wingman Mark Macapagal defends his three-point shootout title against four former champs and four other fearsome gunners in one of the blue-ribbon side events spicing up the 2011 PBA All-Star festivities in Boracay.

Two-time winner Jimmy Alapag and former one-time king James Yap, Dondon Hontiveros and Ronald Tubid lead cast of shooters out to foil Macapagal’s quest for back-to-back diadem.

Mark Cardona, Joe Devance, Ronjay Buenafe and Sunday Salvacion complete the high-powered roster vying for the three-point title in the league’s annual summer spectacle sponsored by Coca-Cola, Meralco, Alta Vista Boracay, Talk N’ Text Puma and Maynilad.

The participants figure in a one-round elimination phase, shooting five balls (four panels worth one point each and a brown ball worth two points) each from five spots inside 60 seconds.

The three best shooters advance to the finals and automatically qualify for the Legends Three-Point Shootout versus Allan Caidic, Alvin Patrimonio and Ato Agustin.

Alapag said all are shooters that can light up the board on a good night, thus the contest is a toss up among all entries.

Yap is aching to redeem himself from a poor showing last year where the underdogs pulled the rug from the fancied bets.

The B-Meg Derby Ace star relinquished his crown right in the elimination phase, and Macapagal grabbed it in beating Jeff Chan and Yousif Aljamal in the final round.

Over the last six years, Yap and William Antonio hold the best record of 21 points each. Renren Ritualo and John Arigo made 20 each.

Buenafe, Tubid and Hontiveros will be up there if one is to consider the players’ three-point shooting percentage in the recent PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

Buenafe was a 45.5-percent three-point shooter while Tubid and Hontiveros both converted 36.96 percent of their shots, among the best in the mid-season tourney.

Curiously, Macapagal was far behind at 9.5 percent, his shooting obviously affected by meager minutes playing behind their import.

Salvacion (34.8), Alapag (32.6), Cardona (31.6) and Devance (31.5) were right there behind the leaders.

The slamdunk contest and the obstacle course are the other skills events up in this PBA All Stars supported by Smart, Accel, Molten, Islander, Rain or Shine and Powerade.