[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’BUZZER BEATER Import stopper’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Wednesday. September 13, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
STAR Hotshots appeared to be on the losing end after trading Allein Maliksi and Chris Javier to Blackwater Elite for Riego Gamalinda and Kyle Pascual, but head coach Chito Victolero insisted that they got what they wanted.
Victolero said that while it was not an easy decision to deal Maliksi – one of Hotshots’ leading local scorers – they chose to let him go for Gamalinda, whom he believes can be Hotshots’ “import stopper” in their remaining games.
“While Allein can provide us the numbers that we needed, Gamalinda can give us the consistency we needed (on defense),” said Victolero. “Gamalinda has shown his ability to defend and limit the opponents’ import during their previous games.”
“To determine the player’s worth, sometimes you have go beyond the numbers he provides but also look on the other intangibles he does when on court,” Victolero added.
The need for an import stopper in Hotshots rose following its three straight defeats at the hands of Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Barangay Ginebra Kings and Meralco Bolts.
Against Painters, Hotshots failed to contain J’Nathan Bullock, who tallied double-double 18 points and 15 rebounds, while against Kings, Star allowed Justin Brownlee to have 33 points and 10 rebounds. In the game against Bolts, Allen Durham fired 25 points and 27 rebounds.
Meanwhile, despite the dwindling numbers of import Malcolm Hill in the past few matches, Hotshots has no plan to replace him just yet. Hotshots is currently in the middle of the standings with a 4-3 win-loss record.
GO-TO GUY
Filipino-American guard Chris Ross proved he can be the go-to guy offensively for San Miguel Beermen, which snapped a rare two-game losing skid and tally back-to-back wins in the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup.
After Beermen struggled offensively in its losses to NLEX Road Warriors and Alaska Aces, Ross normed 23.5 points, four assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.5 steals in their wins over Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Barangay Ginebra Kings last week.
“The playoff mode has to come early for me, and I just want to be aggressive for my team, look for my shots, but it’s a total team effort,” said Ross, a two-time PBA Finals MVP.
With still ineffective import Terik Bridgeman in tow against Painters, the 6-foot-2 Ross spearheaded Beermen’s attack with conference-high 27 points, including five 3-point conversions, for a 103-96 win last Wednesday.
Ross then followed this up with 20 points, five assists, four rebounds, and four steals in Beermen’s 107-103 victory over league-leader Kings on Sunday night.
The two victories were crucial for the Grand Slam-seeking Beermen as the team tied with TNT KaTropa on fourth place with a 5-3 win-loss slate and revived its chances for a twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs.
Beermen can even move up further in the standings as it faces also-ran Kia Picanto on Saturday, struggling Phoenix Fuel Masters on Sept. 20 and Meralco Bolts on Sept. 24 to close out its elimination campaign./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
