Marc Pingris vs Vic Manuel. PBA images
United, the Star Hotshots are the tour de force of the PBA.
Discombobulated, the Star Hotshots crumble like a dying heavenly body.
Star held an 18-point lead in the second quarter and was poised to break the game wide open to get the first game of the PBA Governors’ Cup series against Alaska.
READ: Alaska rallies from 18 points down to stun Star in semis game 1
But the Aces, who have been the league’s the Never Quit Squad as of late, fought back and won the opener, 97-91, Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Hotshots forward Marc Pingris said his team just collapsed and the players moved away from the team game and started playing as individuals.
Pingris did not hold back and said even a bunch of amateurs could beat them if they don’t play as a team.
“Pag nag kanya kanya, kahit inter-barangay kaya kaming talunin,” (when we play as individuals, and not as a team, even an inter-barangay team can beat us) Pingris said.
“We lost our discipline, we lost our defense, we did not play as one.”
Star finished the second quarter strong, 51-36, but the second half saw the Aces become royalty.
Alaska outscored Star 61-40 in the second half– 34-19 in the third quarters — which swung the momentum to the Aces.
Pingris described their meltdown “as a sickness” saying they lose composure when their big lead is cut to bits.
“We are strong as a team when we are disciplined,” Pingris said who finished with four points and three rebounds in 25 minutes of play. CFC
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