Maliksi explodes as Hotshots pounce on TNT
Allein Maliksi erupted for a career high 29 points and the Star Hotshots pounced on the Tropang TNT Texters’ fumbling finish for a 96-88 win in the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday night.
Ricardo Ratliffe had a decent PBA debut with 23 points and 13 rebounds, helping the Hotshots get out of the cellar and tie the Globalport Batang Pier and the Texters at joint ninth place at 2-4.
Maliksi and Ratliffe both came through with big numbers and the whole team made key stoppages at the finish as they handed the Texters a fourth loss in their last five games.
“It’s a tough game considering the situation where we’re at not just in terms of team standings but the fact that our import just arrived (Saturday). I have to give it to the guys for rising up to the challenge,” said Star coach Jason Webb.
“Allein just played solid. We had an idea for one that we’re gonna struggle kasi bago ang import namin. Allein kept us alive as he shot the lights out there,” Webb also said.
Maliksi went 10-of-14 from the field and 3-of-4 from the stripe as he surpassed his previous career high of 25 points made with Barangay Ginebra during the 2012-13 season.
The Hotshots rallied from a huge 18-point deficit to pull even at 51-all at the half.
Star actually pulled ahead at 37-34 on a scorching 21-6 run, then the two teams engaged in neck-and-neck battle through to the finish.
A booming trey by Justin Melton had the Hotshots moving up 51-49 with seven-tenths of a second to go in the second period.
The Texters, however, were awarded a pair of charities on two bench technical fouls the Hotshots incurred as they whooped it up following Melton’s trey. Dylan Ababou nailed both foul shots to tie the count at 51.
Maliksi exploded for 18 points on 6-fo-6 field goals and 3-of-4 charities in the first half.
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