Allein Maliksi (22) of the Star Hotshots soars for a lay-up against two Blackwater defenders in yesterday’s game of the 41st PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum. (PBA IMAGES)
Star trashes Blackwater by 19 points to end slide in PBA Commissioner’s Cup
The Star Hotshots finally got their rhythm going, leading from start to finish to flatten the Blackwater Elite, 122-103, last night in the 41st PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
Import Denzel Bowles put up 28 points and eight rebounds as the Hotshots snapped a three-game slide to finally barge into the win column in the mid-season conference.
Blackwater, on the other hand, saw its two-game win streak come to an end to drop to 2-2 (win-loss).
Allein Maliksi provided the Hotshots the needed local fire with his 23-point output.
Veteran shooter James Yap also got going, powering the Hotshots’ strong start by scoring 13 of his 15 points in the opening period.
Mark Barroca and Peter June Simon also finished in double figures in scoring with 10 markers each.
Star erected a 28-22 lead after the first quarter and started tearing apart in the next canto when it posted a big 58-41 lead at the half.
It was also Star in the final half, as it sustained its scorching offensive game that saw them leading by as many as 28 points in the fourth.
Going down the drain was the solid game of Blackwater import MJ Rhett, who collected 30 points, 21 rebounds and six assists.
Carlo Lastimosa added 20 points but failed to buy a single point in the final quarter.
THE SCORES
STAR (122) – Bowles 28, Maliksi 23, Yap 15, Barroca 10, Simon 10, Melton 8, Sangalang 8, Pascual 7, Pingris 7, Cruz 4, Torres 2
BLACKWATER (103)– Rhett 30, Lastimosa 20, Erram 13, Cervantes 11, Dela Cruz 9, Gamalinda 5, Reyes 5, Agovida 4, Cortez 4, Bulawan 2, Golla 0, Vosotros 0.
QUARTERSCORES: 28-22, 58-41, 92-75, 122-103