KINGS CONTINUE TO SIZZLE; DONDON BACK ON SPOTLIGHT

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In this edition of Hits and Misses, the rise of the Kings continued while the Aces now carry the best card in the tournament behind their impressive back-to-back victories. An import came through with a breakout performance, the highest output made by anyone in nine years while an experienced swingman turned back the hands of time.

HITS

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel – This ballclub has kept the good times rolling and the Kings have extended their winning streak to six. Thanks to the all-around performance of import Vernon Macklin and LA Tenorio and a superb cast who stepped up on different occasions. Once at the tailend of the standings, Ginebra has improved to 7-5, tied for third place with Petron Blaze.

Dondon Hontiveros – Reduced to playing a reliever’s role, this veteran shooter managed to shine once more. On April 5, the 6-foot-2 Cebuano swingman turned back the hands of time by knocking down 22 points on a sizzling 7-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc.  It was his best performance in an Alaska uniform and his most productive game in the last two seasons.

Alaska  – Holding on to the top spot has become a habit for the Aces. In winning two in a row, the Aces have improved their record to 9-3 and in a better position for a twice to beat advantage going into the playoffs. But the team isn’t through yet and being No.1 is obviously on its corsshairs.

LA Tenorio – In the absence of their top gun, this wily cager is playing like a true court general, setting directions for the Kings and providing the needed baskets when they matter the most as Barangay Ginebra continued its winning streak in the Commissioner’s Cup. In a wink of an eye, the once troubled Kings are now in the upper half of the standings, and Tenorio played a big part in their sudden surge. He normed 17.5 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the last two wins of his squad.

Eric Dawson – It’s rare nowadays seeing an import knocking down 50-plus points in one game. But the hot-shooting Meralco import pulled the trick off, unloading  57 points in the Bolts’ 102-92 triumph over Petron Blaze last April 5, most of them coming from the perimeter. He shot 20-of-34 from the field aside from pulling down 14 rebounds and blocking three shots. His output was the highest since Derrick Brown’s 54-point performance in the 2004 Fiesta Conference. With Dawson taking charge, Meralco power is back in the Bolts’ game.

Vernon Macklin – The more games this inside operator plays, the better he gets. Macklin’s improvement in offense came at the right time. He averaged 31.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in the last two games while providing boundless energy for the surging Kings.

MISSES

GlobalPort Batang Pier – So it’s now goodbye, Commissioner’s Cup for the GlobalPort Batang Pier. What turned out to be a promising start ended in another bizarre ending for a team which was busy tinkering with its lineup before the start of the conference.  A nine-game losing skid isn’t an encouraging sign for a squad expected to make headway in the tournament. At 2-10, the Batang Pier had indeed surpassed their previous record, but they want a more respectable finish and that’s what they’re hoping for when they play their last two games.

DJ Mbenga – The ex-Los Angeles Laker was given a warm welcome by everyone except the Petron Blaze Boosters, who took care of business spoiling his debut in the PBA. Mbenga, the wide-bodied seven-foot center, seemed not ready for the hi-octane slam-bang PBA game as he finished with only 14 points and 12 rebounds in 36 minutes of action. He hasn’t played in three months and signs of having the NBA veteran as Barako Bull’s last action hero isn’t encouraging. He needs to shape up fast.

James Yap –  It was another struggle for the San Mig Coffee gunner, but the rest of the team was able to bail him out. He had only three points in his team’s come-from-behind 83-82 squeaker over the Talk N Text Tropang Texters last April 3, missing all but one of his seven shots from the field. If the Mixers want to get past the elimination round and figure prominently in their title defense, the two-time Most Valuable Player will have to play more consistently.

Mark Barroca – He was supposed to start the second half for San Mig Coffee’s game against Barako Bull, but he entered the floor wearing the jersey No. 11 of teammate Alex Mallari, forcing coach Tim Cone to pull out the promising guard. Worse, the team got a technical foul in the process. This is definitely one lesson learned for Barroca.

Larry Fonacier – The Baby-Faced Assassin has been on and off in the Commissioner’s Cup and in their team’s last two games, he was off again. He averaged 5.5 points per game while shooting a combined 3-of-20 from the field in the last two games. At 6-6, the Tropang Texters are hoping Fonaicer will find his mark to get themselves at least in the top four of the standings.

Donnel Harvey – The TNT import is done playing in the PBA – for now. He was forced to leave following an emergency back home. He played his last game against GlobalPort Batang Pier last Saturday where he only finished with six points and 14 rebounds. (RJ)

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