CALASIAO, Pangasinan - Even with multiple titles under his belt at age 38, Peter June Simon admitted being a bit nervous competing in his first ever Three-Point Shootout contest.
But the way he shot from long distance, his anxiety hardly showed.
The Magnolia veteran guard scorched hot from downtown to dethrone good friend James Yap and win the shootout event of the PBA All-Star weekend Friday at the Calasiao Sports Complex.
Simon topped the elimination with 20 points and carried his shooting streak in the finals by finishing with 17 to beat out Robert Bolick of NorthPort and NLEX's Philip Paniamogan.
He barely defeated Bolick in the final round as the NorthPort rookie missed on the final money ball to end up with 16 points.
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Paniamogan finished third with 14.
"Kinakabahan talaga ako kahit sobrang tagal ko na sa PBA," said Simon, who won P30,000.
"Inisip ko na lang na huwag madaliin yung tira ko and make sure na pumapasok ito."
Yap, the deposed champion and a close friend of Simon, failed to advance in the finals after finishing with only 12 points.
"Ewan ko ba, siguro nakadikit na yung pangalan naming dalawa," he said of the two-time league MVP. "But I'm happy for him, magaling pa rin siya and we had a great career together."
Others who joined Yap in the sidelines during the contest also presented by Cignal/PBA Rush, Tag Heuer, Peak, Molten/Mueller, Gatorade, and Crystal Clear were Matthew Wright, Mike Digregorio, and Rashawn McCarthy, all with 15 points, followed by Baser Amer with 14.
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Bringing up the rear are Simon Enciso, Roger Pogoy, and Kevin Ferrer with 11 each, and Marcio Lassiter with seven. (RG)
