The Purefoods Star Hotshots are finally peaking at the right time in the All-Filipino Conference — and the guards are strikingly on rhythm, too.
Allein Maliksi starred once more for the Hotshots with 25 markers. However, it was not just the 6’4″ gunslinger who shone in the bright lights of the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
In the one-sided affair, Meralco’s worst defeat in franchise history, it was Maliksi’s fellow guards who did most of the damage, helping Star steamroll from the get-go to the game’s final buzzer.
The likes of Paul Lee, Mark Barroca, Justin Melton, and rookie Jio Jalalon were shuffled by Star head coach Chito Victolero, and that four-guard rotation proved to be too much for the Bolts.
Lee and Jalalon combined for 30 markers, scoring 15 points each, while Melton and Barroca each produced 10 points in the playoff-clinching victory. They also combined to shoot at a 61 percent clip, 21-of-34 from the floor.
Star’s floor generals put on quite the show. And for the diminutive Melton, who started in tonight’s game, it only shows that Star can be a team to be reckoned with, with them playing on fire.
“That makes us dangerous. We love sharing the ball. We’re just having fun. We don’t care who scores or who gets player of the game. We just play Hotshots basketball,” said the high-flying 5-foot-9 guard.
Jalalon, the rookie, shared the same sentiments as his senior point guard.
“Nag-click lang kami lahat,” said Jalalon. “Teamwork [lang talaga] kaya kami naka-score lahat.”
As mentioned, it was a stellar offensive outing put up by the guards. But for Barroca, one of the team’s veteran leaders, he also credited their defense for their scoring outputs.
“Maganda yung ganito. Pero maganda rin yung defense namin. And nagje-jell na yung team, which is maganda para sa playoffs,” said Barroca.
But even given all the positives stated by the players, Lee thinks otherwise.
“Nandoon na kami. Nagje-jell na yung team, pero it’s still not enough,” said the 2016 PBA Commissioners Cup Finals MVP.
“May mga bagay pa na we need to work on.”
Nevertheless, Saturday night proved to be yet another notable outing from the guards. And Victolero isn’t fazed by that, pointing out that them producing is already a given.
“They are already working hard in practice eh. Sabi ko nga sa kanila, it’s all about our defense eh. Given na eh, [kasi] in college, nakaka-score sila. Even [back] in amateur [ball, they can score],” explained Victolero.
The Hotshots, after the win, are now into the quarterfinals. And they are mixing well with each other at the time needed most — an ingredient needed for a long run in the playoffs.
