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Star Hotshots 91
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Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters 75
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Star, Phoenix hoping to build momentum

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Struggling to get its foot on the right path early in the conference, Star no longer has any room for errors.

And for coach Jason Webb, he has no choice but to put his faith on stand-in import Ricardo Ratliffe to salvage the Hotshots’ campaign in this 2016 Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

Fortunately for them, the Hampton, Virginia native delivered, helping the Hotshots end their two-game losing skid on Sunday with a 96-88 victory over TNT.

Ratliffe stood his ground and provided 23 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists in the victory, enough for Webb to praise his new stalwart.

“Ricardo has impressed us today. He gives us a dimension that’s very different,” he said.

And at 2-4, all Star wants to do is to build up on that win on Saturday when it clashes against Phoenix at
Cuneta Astrodome.

Ratliffe, who came in as a temporary replacement for Denzel Bowles, remained a good soldier and expressed his willingness to roll with the punches.

“I’ll do my job as long as they need me,” he said, still not satisfied with the way he performed in his debut. “I didn’t play my best. I’ll get better, but it’s pretty good that we won.”

However, standing is his way will be the Fuel Masters’ Kevinn Pinkney, who is coming off of his first victory with the team.

With Pinkney leading the way alongside RR Garcia, Willy Wilson, and JC Intal, Phoenix coasted to an easy 114-99 win over Mahindra last Wednesday to end its three-game slide.

“They were challenged when they saw that we were at the cellar,” remarked coach Koy Banal. “Our goal is to make it at 500 after Saturday’s game. We hope we can duplicate the same feat we did with a win.”

Unfortunately, only one team will emerge the victor when the two teams face off at 3 p.m.

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