With the last quarterfinal match ending in an overtime decision that saved the Commissioner’s Cup stint of TNT KaTropa a day earlier, the Star Hotshots launched the best-of-five semifinals with a 109-105 conquest of the favored San Miguel Beermen on Saturday.
Beaten 103-97 in their first meeting in the eliminations last April 16, the Hotshots evened the score with the Beermen by opening a 15-point lead in the last quarter before Aldrech Ramos throttled an SMB rally for good with a triple, time down to 12.8 seconds.
The victory not only boosted Star’s stock no end but also raised doubts on SMB’s bid for a second straight title after its championship romp in the Philippine Cup last March at the expense of Barangay Ginebra.
Notorious for playing lackadaisically at times, the Beermen couldn’t match the offensive fire of the Hotshots led by import Ricardo Ratliffe and new Gilas Pilipinas shooter Allein Maliksi.
The two finished with 26 points each with Ratliffe, who has now kept Star unbeaten in six games since taking over from Tony Mitchel, adding 21 rebounds before fouling out midway in the last period.
Although SMB import Charles Rhodes led all scorers with 34 points, the normally fiery local Beermen groped for their shots with Marcio Lassiter going scoreless for three quarters before finding his range to spark a rally that threatened Star late in the game.
With Lassiter exploding for four three-pointers, the Beermen moved within 104-105 with 33.5 seconds left from 77-94 midway in the fourth quarter.
But Paul Lee found Ramos free on top of the key and the former Far Eastern U forward delivered the game-winner without hesitation.
The Hotshots gun for a repeat against the Beermen on Monday even as the KaTropa and the Gin Kings clashed in Game 1 of their own semifinal series at presstime on Sunday night.
TNT had survived a thrilling best-of-three quarterfinal series with sister team Meralco, which dropped Game 1 (102-84) then forged a knockout match with an overtime 103-100 decision in Game 2.
The do-or-die Game 3 also needed an extra five minutes to settle with the KaTropa eventually prevailing, 104-96.
The Gin Kings, who topped the eliminations over the Beermen, ousted GlobalPort Batang Pier, 96-85, in the quarterfinals while SMB advanced by whipping Phoenix, 115-91.
Star also reached the semifinals with ease, dethroning Rain or Shine, 118-82.
GlobalPort completed the eight-team quarterfinal cast earlier by eliminating last year’s runner-up Alaska, 107-106, on a triple by Terrence Romeo with eight seconds left.
But Romeo turned from hero to heel two days later after he was ejected in the last quarter of that losing game against Ginebra for a flagrant foul on LA Tenorio, the guy he replaced as the No. 2 guard of the national team Gilas Pilipinas behind Jayson Castro of TNT.