After almost three weeks of serving his duties with Gilas Pilipinas for the 2017 SEABA Championships in Manila which they eventually won, Allein Maliksi has finally came back to his mother team, Star Hotshots, Wednesday night.
His return, along with fellow Gilas cager Jio Jalalon, was done fittingly as the Hotshots clobbered the Meralco Bolts, 108-90, at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum to grab the top spot of the 2017 Commissioner’s Cup standings.
“Na-miss nga namin yung buong team pagbalik namin ni Jio,” said the 29-year-old gunner moments after the bout.
“Excited naman kami makalaro, ang taas ng energy namin.”
Maliksi’s energy was evident in the win. The Makati-born guard finished with 11 points on 66.7 percent shooting, with 3-of-4 of his shots coming from beyond the arc — numbers notable for someone who missed his team for weeks.
For the six-year veteran, playing with Star always brings out the best in him. But, his run with the national squad in the regional tourney is something he will cherish, where he averaged 10.0 points on 43.2 percent shooting.
“Sa Gilas kasi more on a role player ako eh,” shared Maliksi. “Pero very happy kami ni Jio na naging part kami ng Gilas. First time ko, sobrang happy, blessed and grateful ako sa mga coaches na nasama ako sa team.
“Pagbalik naman sa Star, happy ulit.”
Photo by PBA Images
