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By ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Monday, May 8, 2017
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MANILA – Paul Lee once again proved to be the thorn on the side of his former team Rain or Shine Elasto Painters as he powered the Star Hotshots to a 99-93 win in the 2017 Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Saturday night at the Batangas City Coliseum.
Lee, picked by the Painters in the 2011 PBA Draft, finished with 23 points, including three 3-point conversions, for the Hotshots, which tied the TNT Katropa with a 6-2 win-loss slate.
Tony Mitchell added double-double 21 points and 17 rebounds, while Mark Barroca contributed 11 markers for the Hotshots, which is missing Gilas Pilipinas players Allein Maliksi and Jio Jalalon ,as well as injured Jean Marc Pingris and Aldrech Ramos.
The Painters, meanwhile, suffered its second straight loss and dropped to seventh with at 4-4, just slightly ahead of playoffs-seeking Phoenix Fuel Masters (4-5) and Blackwater Elite (3-6), which came from a win over the Mahindra Floodbuster (1-8).
Holding on to a slim 21-18 lead at the end of the opening period, the Hotshots waxed hot in the second frame and surged to a 35-21 lead. The Painters came to within single digits but the Hotshots was able to bring it up again to 13 points.
The Hotshots extended the lead to its largest at 66-52 early in the third frame on triples by Lee but the Painters rallied back and was able to tie the score at 90-all on two free throws by Jeffrei Chan.
Three straight hits by the Hotshots, including a backboard collapsing dunk by Mitchell, increased the lead to 97-90 before sealing the victory with free throws by Lee and Mitchell.
Reinforcement Shawn Taggart and Negrense Chan both finished with 20 points, while Gabe Norwood and Beau Belga had 10 each for the Painters, which has lost four of its last five matches./PN
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