With James Yap (calf strain) out for two weeks, the remaining healthy Star Hotshots backcourt players were left with no other recourse but to step up to help the team in their series against San Miguel.
And that’s what Allein Maliksi and Peter June Simon did in Game One, combining for 45 points as the Hotshots shocked the Beermen, 108-99, to force a do-or-die match on Wednesday.
Maliksi, Star’s leading local scorer, once again shot the lights out, firing 23 points including 5-for-12 from three-point area. Simon added 22, including 13 in the third period, where the Hotshots cut the deficit to a more manageable one.
Maliksi said head coach Jason Webb’s confidence in him has played a huge part in his breakout conference so far, and he is just trying to translate all the hard work in practice into actual results.
Allein Maliksi has been consistent all throughout the conference
“Siguro playing time, and yung confidence ni coach Jason. Ngayon thankful ako and tinatrabaho ko talaga sa practice na every second na nilalaro ko sa court, binibigay ko lahat. Tinatrabaho ko lang sa practice, then nagta-translate sa game,” he said.
The 28-year-old wing man also added that he constantly challenges himself to do better each time.
“Sa akin, medyo tinatrabaho ko yun sa practice eh, talagang tinrabaho ko to improve myself. Every time na may game, I always challenge myself na last game ganito yung performance ko, can I top that? Kumbaga, can I beat my previous game,” Maliksi said.
“I always think na, ano ba ang kailangan ko gawin, kailangan ko bang i-challenge ang sarili ko to be better? I am not as a consistent player before, and ung mga doubts na ‘yun, yun ang mga tina-try ko i-overcome and i-challenge ang sarili ko na, hindi, kaya ko yun.”
Simon himself feels grateful that Star have been given another chance. The wingman said Star had tried to go to the post more often since the team are a bit short on backcourt players, and it led to opportunities for shooters to get open shots.
The Scoring Apostle showed his lethal form to extend the QF series against SMB (PBA Images)
“Talagang binibigay namin sa post at malalaki. Kapag nabibigyan kami ng chance, dapat maging aggressive lang kami kasi mawawala yung rhythm namin kapag puro post lang,” Simon shared.
“Sobrang thankful kami dahil there is another chance. Bibihira makakuha ng ganitong opportunity so sa Wednesday, buhos na talaga lahat. Hopefully mabigyan kami ng magandang game ni Ricardo (Ratliffe),” Simon said of the Star import who notched 33 points and 29 rebounds in Game One.
With Wednesday’s affair now a win-or-go-home, Simon and the rest of Star are eager to give it their best shot.
“Yung pressure pantay-pantay na. Bahala na sa Wednesday.”
