MANILA — The Star Hotshots began their campaign in the 2017 PBA Commissioner's Cup with aplomb, drubbing the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 101-82, Wednesday night. Import Tony Mitchell had a superb PBA debut, leading the Hotshots with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, 16 boards and three blocks.
Mark Barroca was the leading local scorer for Star, finishing with 17 points, 13 of them in the second half when the Hotshots seized full control of the game.
Allein Maliksi scored 16 points while PJ Simon and Ian Sangalang added 10 apiece for Star.
The Hotshots showed tremendous firepower even with the absence of veteran forward Marc Pingris, who is down with a hip injury, and the sluggish plays of top gunner Paul Lee, who is still recovering from a knee injury. Lee could only cough up two points on one-for-nine shooting from the field in 28 minutes.
Phoenix import Jameel McKay also debuted in the PBA with a bang, exploding for 34 points and 20 rebounds. Mckay was tapped to replace prolific scorer Eugene Phelps who had to leave due to a prior commitment in Puerto Rico.
The victory extended Star's domination of Phoenix, a team the Hotshots had beaten four straight times now by an average of 28.5 points, including a 44-point blowout in the last Philippine Cup.
Alaska 109, Blackwater 95
The Alaska Aces continued to dominate their rivals despite their crippled roster, handily beating the Blackwater Elite, 109-95.
Its second straight win allowed Alaska to stay abreast of Rain or Shine and Meralco at the top of the standings, while Blackwater suffered its second straight loss.
Replacement import Cory Jefferson reprised his rousing debut with another explosive game for Alaska, finishing with team-highs of 28 points and 15 rebounds on top of two assists, two steals, and one block in 40 minutes.
Gilas candidate Bryan Cruz led Alaska's local with 15 points plus three boards, while Ping Exciminiano and Kevin Racal posted 13 and 12 points, respectively. Sonny Thoss added 10 points and seven boards while Calvin Abueva chipped in nine markers on just six attempts, four boards, three assists, and one steal in 23 minutes.
The Aces continued to miss the services of three key players—Vic Manuel, JVee Casio, and Dondon Hontiveros—who remained on sickbay.
With Jefferson dominating the paint on both ends of the court, the Aces built an early lead and never looked back. They pulled away midway in the fourth quarter when Blackwater import Greg Smith fouled out.
Smith, a former NBA veteran who had stints with the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves, finished with just 14 points in just nine attempts before fouling out. He also had 16 boards and six assists.
Reil Cervantes led Blackwater with 21 points.
Games Friday: Meralco Bolts (2-0) vs. TNT Ka Tropa Texters (0-0) and NLEX Road Warriors (0-2) vs. Mahindra Floodbuster (0-2).
