Jay R. Gotera
MANILA — The Star Hotshots got back on the winning track, upending the defending champion TNT Tropang Texters, 96-88, Sunday night for only their second victory in six outings in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Allein Maliksi came off the bench to score a career-high and team-high 29 points, including 6-of-6 from three-point range in 31 minutes of play to lead the Star offense.
New import Ricardo Ratliffe, who replaced Denzel Bowles, finished with 23 points, 13 boards, and four assists in 38 minutes.
James Yap added 10 markers as the Hotshots tied the Texters and Batang Pier at ninth to 11th place, all with a 2-4 win-loss card, one notch higher than last-placer Phoenix (1-3).
With Maliksi shooting the lights out of the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, the Hotshots erased an 18-point deficit in the third quarter. Maliksi’s six straight three-pointers tied a PBA record for most three-point shots made without a miss, joining a list of six players. His last two treys came within the last two minutes, one that gave Star a 92-87 lead with 1:05 left and the other at the final buzzer.
Jayson Castro led TNT with 18 points, but he missed two crucial free throws and an undergoal stab in the endgame that could have changed the outcome of the game.
New import David Simon continued to grope his way in the TNT system, finishing with just 12 points.
Ranidel de Ocampo added 15 markers while Dylan Ababou and Moala Tautuaa chipped in 11 apiece.
Blackwater 115, GlobalPort 103
Mike Cortez returned from injury to lead the Blackwater Elite to a rousing 115-103 victory over the GlobalPort Batang Pier, their third win in six outings.
It marked the first time that Blackwater defeated GlobalPort in franchise history after four losses, cutting the number of PBA teams it still had to beat to just four—Rain or Shine, Star, Tropang TNT, and NLEX Cortez orchestrated Blackwater’s offense, finishing with 22 points and seven assists.
Import MJ Rhett provided the firepower and strength underneath to pace the Elite with 30 points and 13 rebounds.
Three other Elite scored in double digits with rookie Art dela Cruz contributing 16 markers while Reil Cervantes and Carlo Lastimosa added 13 and 12 points, respectively.
GlobalPort suffered its third straight loss and fell to 2-4. The Batang Pier continued to miss the services of injured star guard Stanley Pringle. Compounding GlobalPort’s woes, top gunner Terrence Romeo played with a minor calf injury. Despite this, Romeo still managed to score 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting and snag four rebounds against six turnovers and zero assist in 21 minutes of play.
Import Calvin Warner led GlobalPort with 26 points. Jonathan Uyloan fired 15, Keith Jensen scatttered 12, while Paolo Taha added 12.
Games Wednesday: Phoenix Fuel Masters (1-3) vs. Mahindra Enforcers (3-2) and Barangay Ginebra Kings (3-2) vs. Alaska Aces (3-1).
