MANILA, Philippines – UCLA-bound Kobe Paras shook off jitters in the first half before getting his groove in his first game at the Staples Center, the home of the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers.
Paras finished with 12 points in helping the LA Purple Ghosts pull away from a tight opening half to score a big 76-61 win on Monday (Tuesday Manila time) in the Supreme Showcase.
“It’s really different,” Paras told ABS-CBN North America reporter Steve Angeles comparing the venues where played before and the Staples Center. “Because you see the stadium is really big.”
True enough, the 17-year old son of two-time PBA MVP Benjie Paras played tight in the opening half where he missed three of his four free throws and his outside shots not sinking in. He did score a field goal on a driving layup off a feed from his 6-foot-10 Brazilian teammate Lucas Siewert. He had four points at halftime where the Purple Ghosts led by only one, 32-31.
But in the second half, the third-year shooting guard finally hit his strides. Paras made two free throws in the early minutes then scored two baskets – one in transition and the other in traffic. He missed one more outside shot and his first attempt for an in-game dunk at Staples Center came up short.
The 6-foot-6 Paras though did not want to leave the Clippers and Lakers’ homecourt without his signature highlight play. With the Purple Ghosts already in control with a double-digit lead, the former La Salle Greenhills standout sealed the win with a baseline dunk off a beautiful dish from their point guard Milan Acquaah.
Paras, rated 41st in the US at his spot in the composite ranking by 247sports.com, grabbed at least five rebounds and had one monster block late in the second half.
“The competition was really physical. There was a lot of banging and I didn’t know the game here would be that intense, so it was a great experience,” Paras said.
It was a payback win for Paras and the Purple Ghosts coached by William Middlebrooks. Diego Prep beat them last month, 79-68, despite Paras exploding for 18 points.
In their second meeting, LA Cathedral held Diego Prep to only 30 points in the second half. Middlebrooks took Paras out for good when the Purple Ghosts opened up a 23-point cushion, 73-50, down the stretch.
Watch Kobe Paras' first game at Staples Center in HD quality below (uploaded by Middlebrooks Basketball):