Star dismantles Kia

Two-time MVP James Yap came through with clutch baskets down the stretch as defending champion Star snapped a four-game losing skid, downing expansion team Kia, 89-80, last night in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Angeles University Gym in Angeles City, Pampanga.

Averaging just 9.40 points this conference, Yap sank two threepointers late in the Petron Saturday Special game, the first one giving his team an eight-point cushion (85-77) with 56.6 seconds left to play.

Yap’s triple came as Kia threatened to turn things around and moved within five points after a trey by LA Revilla, who led a rally from a 17-point deficit in the first half.

KIA had a chance to move closer when Revilla stole the ball from import Marqus Blakely.

However, Revilla’s three-point shot was short, and it led to Yap’s huge triple in the next play.

Blakely finally took the fight out of the Carnival when he swatted Revilla’s trey attempt, and Yap’s last triple – his fourth in the game – put the finishing touch on the Hotshots’ victory.

The win improved Star’s record to 2-4, denying Kia’s bid to gain a share of the lead with Alaska and Barako Bull – both with 4-1 cards – as it dropped to 3-2 to tie Globalport for fifth and sixth places in the standings.

The 6-foot-2 Yap finished with 23 points in a perfect 4-of-4 from three-point territory with seven rebounds, while Blakely had a double-double, 23 points and 11 rebounds.

The Carnival’s Asian import Jet Chang of Taiwan led the team with 17 points, while 7-foot-2 center Hamady Ndiaye of Senegal had 13 points, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots.

Yap, the league MVP in 2006 and 2010, started strong as he scattered 12 points in the opening period, which tied his conference best of 12 markers he had in a setback against Globalport last May 12.

The Scores:

KIA 80 —