Star stays in race for Top 4
The Star Hotshots primed themselves up for a virtual playoff match with the NLEX Road Warriors tomorrow by fashioning out a lopsided 128-81 rout of the Kia Picanto that preserved their Top Four hopes in the PBA Governors Cup eliminations at the MOA Arena in Pasay City last night.
The Hotshots left nothing to chance, storming to a 65-36 halftime and refusing to let up on the hapless Picanto team that they didn't spare an embarrassing winless showing in the seasonending tourney.
Coach Chris Gavina and the Picanto went down as the first team to end up without a single win in a tourney since Blackwater suffered the same humiliation in the 2014-15 Philippine Cup.
As the worst performing team in the 2016-17 PBA season, Kia earned the rights for the first pick in the coming PBA Rookie Draft. Gavina said he's leaning towards drafting Fil German center/forward Christian Standhardinger.
With 12 points, Marc Pingris joined the league's elite 5,000-point club and was among those who shone in an explosive Star game leading to one of the most lopsided victories in the season that's about to end.
Star coach Chito Victolero is now hoping they can sustain the momentum in their critical matchup with NLEX at the close of the one-roundrobin elims tomorrow over at the Big Dome.
“We need to win to have a chance at the Top Four; same with NLEX. So it's a big game Sunday,” said Victolero.
With their 49-point blowout of Kia, the Hotshots caught up with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at sixth place at 6-4, right behind joint third placers the Road Warriors, the San Miguel Beermen and the TNT Ka Tropa Texters at 7-3. The race for the Top Four heats up today as Ginebra,
TNT and Rain or Shine press their bids in a crucial double-header at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The E-Painters go for a 7-4 closing mark in their 3 p.m. showdown with the Blackwater Elite while the Kings and the Texters face off in a virtual playoff duel at 5:15 p.m.
The Kings chase a win that automatically hands them a twice-tobeat incentive in the quarterfinals while the Texters go for a win that will forge a jam between these two teams at 8-3. —