Star flashes old form, rips KIA

GREG Slaughter (right) of Barangay Ginebra returns to do battle with Arwind Santos and San Miguel Beer tonight. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

ANGELES, Pampanga—James Yap played like a two-time MVP again, and Star finally flaunted the form of a defending champion yesterday.

Yap snapped out of his offensive slump and led the Hotshots to an impressive 89-80 victory over upset-conscious KIA Motors in a Petron Saturday Special Game of the PBA Governors’ Cup at Angeles University Sports Foundation Arena here.

The 6-foot-2 gunslinger, whose best offensive output in the first five Star games was 12 points, scored that much in the first period to spark a torrid start by the Hotshots before burying two triples inside the final minute that sealed the Carnival’s doom. He finished with 23 points like import Marqus Blakely.

It was the first win in the last five games for the Hotshots, who at 2-4 are still out of the playoff picture but with momentum on their side going into the most critical stages of the elimination round.

Blakely was again a bundle of energy for the Hotshots, swatting away an LA Revilla triple that led to the last of those two straight treys by Yap.

Meanwhile, Greg Slaughter returns for Barangay Ginebra today as the Gin Kings try to end San Miguel Beer’s four-game winning streak.

Game time is 7 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum even as Barako Bull battles Rain or Shine at 3 p.m.

The scores:

STAR 89—Yap 23, Blakely 23, Mallari 9, Devance 6, Pingris 6, Simon 6, Pennisi 5, Taha 5, Barroca 4, Reavis 2.

KIA SORENTO 80—Chang 17, N’Diaye 13, Revilla 12, Thiele 10, Dehesa 9, Bagatsing 6, Nuyles 5, Pascual 4, Alvarez 4, Ighalo 0, Yee 0, Deutchman 0, Parreno 0.

Quarters: 25-16, 51-34, 69-58, 89-80