Hotshots slip past Gin Kings for 2-0 lead

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Paul Lee had his usual calm demeanor amid the pressure-packed situations to will Star to another thrilling win over Barangay Ginebra, 91-89, for a 2-0 lead in the 2017 PBA Philippine Cup semifinals Saturday night at Mall of Asia Arena.

Just like in Game 1 on Thursday, Lee flourished down the stretch, scoring six of his team’s last 10 points inside the final seven minutes.

“It’s all about our big heart. We know Ginebra will come out strong, we know it’s going to be a close game but it’s all about the heart,” said Star head coach Chito Victolero, whose team stretched its winning streak to eight games dating back to the elimination round.

“A 2-0 lead is nothing if we’re not going to win Game 3. We need to win four games and it’s about the mental toughness now. We need to win four and we can’t be satisfied.”

Veteran center Rafi Reavis also played a vital role late as his hustle gave the Hotshots extra possessions including one that led to his two free throws that preserved his team’s victory. He finished with nine points, five rebounds and a block.

The Gin Kings trailed by as much as 10 in the second quarter and stared at a nine-point deficit in the third quarter before taking an 83-81 lead after a basket by Scottie Thompson with 4:53 remaining.

Jio Jalalon broke the last deadlock of the game, 87-85, before Lee went coast-to-coast for an 89-85 buffer with 58.4 ticks to play.

Thompson nearly posted a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while Kevin Ferrer scored a game-high 25 points built on five 3-pointers for Ginebra, which will try to avoid a 0-3 hole on Monday still at MOA Arena.

Allein Maliksi and Justin Melton came off the bench and added 14 and 11 points, respectively for the Hotshots, who drew 45 points from their reserves as compared to the Kings’ 16.

Lee pulled off an encore after also rescuing Star in the semis opener with 18 points.