May 31, 2017

Star sends Alaska to its seventh straight loss, assumes solo lead

The Star Hotshots won the game they needed to win Wednesday night. And they now play a waiting game.

The Hotshots battled back from 21 points down late in the third period and outfought the Alaska Milk Aces in a classic overtime showdown, 102-98, to assure themselves of at least the third seeding in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoffs.

Ricardo Ratliffe, Jio Jalalon, Paul Lee and Justin Melton carried the Hotshots through in the extension play for a 9-2 closing mark in the elims.

But the Hotshots will only know their final placing or their quarterfinal seeding after the final play date where San Miguel Beer (8-2) and Barangay Ginebra (8-2) are pitted versus GlobalPort and Mahindra, respectively.

“Our fate is not in our control. We’re No. 1 maybe only until tomorrow. But wherever we are right now, we’re very happy. We wanted to win this game badly and we did,” said Star coach Chito Victolero.

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The Hotshots clinch a spot in the Top Two only if both or either SMB or Ginebra loses their game Friday.

A three-way logjam among Ginebra, San Miguel and Star will relegate the Hotshots to No. 3 because of an inferior quotient.

The Aces bungled a 73-52 spread in the third and reeled with a seventh straight loss for a 4-7 closing mark.

They may now need to go through a playoff to salvage a spot in the quarterfinals.

Ratliffe came through with 35 points and 28 rebounds with Lee, Melton, Jalalon and Aldrech Ramos having their own big moments as the Hotshots fashioned out their stirring come-from-behind victory before a good Wednesday crowd at the Cuneta Astrodome.

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From their 21-point deficit late in the third, the Hotshots cranked up offensively and stormed ahead at 86-81 entering the last three minutes of regulation play.

But then the Aces waged their own fightback, sending the game into OT at 89-all.

Alaska had a chance to salvage the game in regulations but Cory Jefferson misfired a trey in the dying seconds.

Another missed three-pointer by Jefferson in OT allowed the Hotshots to complete their morale-boosting triumph.

“Masarap dalhin ito papunta sa playoffs,” said Victolero.