 |
| PBA |
By Ivan Saldajeno
QUEZON CITY--Just two games into the PBA Governors' Cup, an upset happened.
Mahindra pulled the first stunner of the season-ending tournament with a 100-92 overtime victory against Star at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday night.
The Hotshots missed out on a chance to pull away for good after going up by six in the third quarter as the Enforcers dominated the extra five minutes to give Interim Coach Chris Gavina his first PBA win.
After a close first half, Star appeared to be closing out Mahindra in the third after taking a six-point cushion, 63-57.
But Mahindra answered with a 17-6 run to put them up, 74-69, in the fourth period, starting the quarter with a 7-0 run.
The Hotshots quickly bounced back and the game became close until the end of regulation, sending the match into overtime.
L.A. Revilla, however, started the free basketball session with a bank shot from three-point territory before Aldrech Ramos capped the 5-0 Enforcers run with two charities.
New Hotshot RR Garcia doused cold water in the Enforcers' mini-run with his own trey even as James White and Allein Maliksi exchanged baskets later in overtime.
But Mahindra closed out the game with six unanswered points to complete the upset.
White finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, and a block, while Ramos added 17 points, three rebounds, one assist, two blocks, and a steal for the Enforcers, who were without Senator Manny Pacquiao, their head coach.
Iranian reinforcement Zandi Mashaddy fired 15 markers, two rebounds, and one assist for Mahindra.
Marqus Blakely led the Hotshots with 21 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and one steal.
Garcia impressed in his Star debut, tallying ten markers, one rebound, two assists, and one steal without a turnover.
Star coach Jason Webb opted to activate Gilas Pilipinas standout Marc Pingris, who was fresh from the FIBA OQT in Pasay last week, and the latter responded with eight points, ten rebounds, and one block.
Box Scores:
Mahindra 100-White 22, Ramos 17, Mashaddy 15, Canaleta 10, Taha 10, Revilla 9, Aguilar 7, Jaime 7, Yee 3, Agovida 0, Bagatsing 0, Pinto 0, Ballesteros 0, Digregorio 0, Guinto 0, Elorde 0
Star 92-Blakely 21, Barroca 15, Simon 12, Garcia 10, Pingris 8, Maliksi 6, Sangalang 6, Mallari 5, Reavis 5, Yap 4
Quarterscores: 22-18, 41-42, 67-69, 87-87, 100-92
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
Garcia impressed in his Star debut, tallying ten markers, one rebound, two assists, and one steal without a turnover.
Star coach Jason Webb opted to activate Gilas Pilipinas standout Marc Pingris, who was fresh from the FIBA OQT in Pasay last week, and the latter responded with eight points, ten rebounds, and one block.
Box Scores:
Mahindra 100-White 22, Ramos 17, Mashaddy 15, Canaleta 10, Taha 10, Revilla 9, Aguilar 7, Jaime 7, Yee 3, Agovida 0, Bagatsing 0, Pinto 0, Ballesteros 0, Digregorio 0, Guinto 0, Elorde 0
Star 92-Blakely 21, Barroca 15, Simon 12, Garcia 10, Pingris 8, Maliksi 6, Sangalang 6, Mallari 5, Reavis 5, Yap 4
Quarterscores: 22-18, 41-42, 67-69, 87-87, 100-92
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
.jpg)
