PBA All-Star weekend set

Kelly Williams of Sta.Lucia Realty.

KELLY Williams' crowd-pleasing, last second power slam in Game 2 of the semifinals series between Sta. Lucia and Alaska created quite a stir in the last PBA Philippine Cup.

Come the All-Star weekend, the 6-foot-3 high-leaping Realtor gets all the chance he can to strut his dunking ability before a nationally televised event.

The Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference is among the handful expected to add color and flavor to a slam dunk contest predicted to be as exciting as the
All-Star game main fare between the North and South teams.

Bacolod is this year's host of the mid-season spectacle set April 24-27.

Other possible highly flyer entries into the contest serving as one of the side events of the PBA's annual classic are Air21's Arwind Santos, former champion
Cyrus Baguio of Red Bull, Welcoat rookie Joe Devance and three-time defending titlist KG Canaleta, also of Air21.

Canaleta won an unprecedented third straight title last year in Baguio City, routing Talk `N Text's Jay Washington in the final, 79-54, behind a windmill
side-winder and a thunderous one-hander above a man, with the free throw line as his take-off point.

No player in the history of the contest has won the slam dunk title four consecutive times.

Williams was entered in the same contest a year ago, but never got past the eliminations when he failed to convert twice his between-the-legs jam.

Canaleta admitted Williams' early ouster somewhat eased off the pressure on him, making this year's slam competition easily one of the most highly anticipated in years.

"Malaking pressure ang nawala sa akin noong nawala si Kelly," said Canaleta then.

Apart from the slam dunk, other side events to be played in the All-Star festivities are the three-point shootout, trick shot and the obstacle challenge.

San Miguel's sweet shooting guard Dondon Hontiveros is the reigning three-point shootout king, Willie Miller of Alaska holds the title in the obstacle challenge while Denok Miranda is the defending champion in the trick shot.

Also part of the All-Star week is the Blitz Game between the Rookies and Sophomore. Last year behind the 31 points of Santos, the freshmen scored a
breakthrough 122-107 rout of the Sophies.