Meralco's Almazan rules 3-point showcase for big men in PBA All-Star weekend

MANILA, Philippines -- The inaugural 3-point shooting contest for bigs got a little rock 'n roll to it.

Meralco Bolts' Raymond Almazan has won the first 3-point contest for big men in the 2024 PBA All-Star weekend at the University of St. La Salle Gym in Bacolod, edging Terrafirma's Isaac Go, NLEX's Dave Marcelo and Blackwater's Christian David in the final round.

Almazan, who is shooting 33% from beyond the arc in the PBA Philippine Cup, scored 19 points in the final. He followed David, who started the final round with 15 points.

Marcelo then heated up late but just came up short with 16 points.

Go, who led the first round with 20 points, had 15 points his turn, cementing Almazan's win.

The Meralco center defeated a field that also included Ginebra's Ralph Cu, Converge's Keith Zaldivar, Phoenix's Jason Perkins, San Miguel's June Mar Fajardo, TNT's Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Rain or Shine's Santi Santillan, Magnolia's James Laput and NorthPort's JM Calma.

In the guards' and wings' 3-point shootout, TNT's Calvin Oftana dethroned Magnolia's Paul Lee to take home the championship.

Oftana dropped 25 points in the final round of the tournament, edging Lee's 20 and Chris Newsome's 15.

He finished ahead of Terrafirma's Javi Gomez-de Liano, San Miguel's Marcio Lassiter, Rain or Shine's Andrei Caracut, Phoenix's Ken Tuffin, NorthPort's Arvin Tolentino, NLEX's Robbie Herndon, Converge's Alec Stockton and Ginebra's Mav Ahanmisi.

Meanwhile, Calma reigned supreme in the obstacle course challenge.

He finished the final round at the 26 second mark with a flawless run in the obstacle course.

Coming in second was Santillan with 29 seconds, while Laput came in third as he finished the obstacle in 30 seconds.

He won over San Miguel's Mo Tautuaa, Blackwater's Cliff Jopia, Converge's Justin Arana, Cu and Marcelo.