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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
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05
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06
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2024
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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
05
06
2024
The Purefoods Star Hotshots have bid Daniel Orton goodbye and good riddance.
Orton has been sacked and taking his place is tested import Denzel Bowles as Purefoods slugs it out with back-in-form Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday.
Tip off is at 5:15 p.m.
“We’ve had to move mountains in a short period of time, but Denzel is now in town ready to play,” said Purefoods coach Tim Cone.
“Hopefully, we can begin to move forward again and get back on the winning track. We’ve had very little time to prepare for Ginebra, though, so we will temper our expectation,” Cone added.
“After that, we only play two games in three weeks, so we expect to be ready for the rest of the elims and the playoffs.”
The Hotshots brought in Bowles from China although not sure on whether the former James Madison U stalwart would make the 6-foot-9 ceiling.
The team got a big relief when Bowles was officially measured at 6-foot-8 13/16 a few hours after flying in early Saturday morning.
“Actually, kinausap namin ang locals namin, at ready sila lumaro all-Filipino kung hindi lulusot sa height limit si Denzel,” said Purefoods official Rene Pardo.
“Wala na kaming balak pang palaruin si Orton, nagalit lahat sa kanya,” Pardo also said.
Frustrated and disappointed after their humbling loss to Kia on Wednesday, Orton vented his ire on the referees, and took a dig at Kia Carnival playing coach Manny Pacquiao.
“This game is seriously a joke. The way the game was going, the refs took the game that I know and love, and they made it into a mockery,” he said.
On Pacquiao, Orton said: “That’s the joke. That’s part of the joke I was talking about. Professional boxer, yeah, okay. Congressman, alright. Professional basketball player, no. It’s a joke. Seriously, it’s a joke.”
On Friday, PBA commissioner Chito Salud slapped the erring import a stiff fine of P250,000.
“Kung ang PBA binigyan sya ng P250,000 fine, kami nagbigay sa kanya ng passport niya. Papauwiin na namin,” said Pardo.
The team didn’t take lightly all Orton’s rants especially his attack on Pacquiao.
“Pambansang Kamao natin yon. Para siyang nagpunta sa US at binastos ang pangalan ni Martin Luther King,” said Pardo.
Thus, Orton is out, but the Hotshots are in better hands in Bowles with whom the team won the 2012 edition of the Commissioner’s Cup.
Against Barangay Ginebra, Bowles and the Hotshots face a team that has won their last two games after a faltering 0-3 start in the mid-season tourney. (SB)
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