MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATED) The Star Hotshots asserted their mastery over Phoenix for one last time in the 2016-17 PBA Philippine Cup, as they routed the Fuel Masters, 91-71, to secure a spot in the conference semifinals on Monday at the Araneta Coliseum.
Paul Lee had 17 points and nine assists, while Marc Pingris added 16 points and nine rebounds, as the Hotshots pounced on Phoenix's errors to extend their winning streak to six games heading into the semifinals of the tournament.
It also marked the third consecutive time in the Philippine Cup that Star blew out Phoenix. They won their elimination round game, 123-79, and then crushed the Fuel Masters in Game 1 of their best-of-three quarterfinals series last Saturday, 114-83.
"I think sa simula ng season, medyo talagang process 'yung chemistry namin. But now, nag-improve ang chemistry namin because we start it on defense," added the coach, who took over the team only in the offseason from Jason Webb.
Star will now wait for the winner of the other quarterfinal series between Alaska and Barangay Ginebra. That match-up will be decided on Tuesday, after the Gin Kings forced a knockout game with an 85-81 win over the Aces last Sunday.
Third-quarter storm
Much like their Game 1 encounter, the Fuel Masters were able to keep in step in the first half, trailing by just seven points, 35-42. But as they did in Game 1, the Hotshots took over the game with a huge third quarter.
Star outscored Phoenix, 23-14, in the third period, with 12 of those points coming in a searing two-minute stretch that turned a 45-38 lead into a 57-38 advantage. Lee got the run started with a three-pointer, and the Hotshots wound up scoring 12 unanswered points, capped by a nifty hook by Pingris.
Though the Fuel Masters tried to work their way back, thanks mostly to rookie Matthew Wright, the Hotshots had an answer every time, and they entered the final frame with a 65-49 lead.
Their advantage grew to as much as 26 points, 79-53, after a lay-up by Ian Sangalang off an assist from Lee. The blowout nature of the game allowed Victolero to field in some of his less heralded players, and even they managed to make an impact: back-up guard Alvin Abundo played seven minutes in the final quarter and drained two three-pointers, both of which came thanks to dimes from Lee.
"I'm very thankful to the players, because na-adapt nila ang system," said Victolero, whose wards shot 42% from the field and turned Phoenix's 18 turnovers into 24 points. "Hopefully, makapag-prepare kami ng maayos for the semis."
Rookie Jiovani Jalalon and Ian Sangalang each scored 11 points for the Hotshots, who had 24 assists on 32 made field goals. Star encountered little resistance inside the paint, where they made 68% of their shots to make up for a subpar shooting night from beyond the arc (26%).
So dominant were the Hotshots that they did not even need a big performance from Allein Maliksi, who had only eight points on three-of-eight shooting in the game.
Meanwhile, Wright led the Fuel Masters with 24 points, while Simon Enciso added 12 markers. But Phoenix, which shot over 40% from the field in the elimination round, never found an answer for Star's defense. They only made 27 of 81 attempts, including only six of 33 from the three-point area.
Star is the second team to advance to the semifinals, after defending champion San Miguel Beer.
STAR 91 - Lee 17, Pingris 16, Jalalon 11, Sangalang 11, Maliksi 8, Barroca 7, Abundo 6, Ramos 6, Melton 5, Brondial 4, Reavis 0, Javier 0, Dela Rosa 0.
PHOENIX 71 - Wright 24, Enciso 12, Intal 10, W. Wilson 6, Borboran 5, Baguio 4, J. Wilson 3, Torres 3, Kramer 2, Alolino 2, Dehesa 0, Miranda 0.
Quarterscores: 22-18, 42-35, 65-49, 91-71
(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.)
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