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Star capitalized on the absence of opposing import Trevis Simpson in the fourth quarter to beat a hard-fighting Blackwater side, 103-86, in the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Veteran guard PJ Simon had a throwback performance with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field as he and Ian Sangalang, who collected 14 points and five rebounds, gave the Hotshots a big lift off the bench.
“We just wanted to limit Blackwater to under 90 points. We tightened our defense in the second half,” said Star head coach Chito Victolero.
“We can always depend on PJ. He stepped up when Blackwater was mounting a rally,” Victolero said in Filipino. “It was big for us when Simpson went out because he was really attacking basket, but it happens and this time, the breaks of the game went to us.”
The Elite kept the game within reach until Simpson got hurt with still 11:36 left and did not return.
Blackwater was within five, 75-70, before Simpson was subbed out. Star went on a 24-9 run capped with Simpson rendered helpless on the bench.
A 3-pointer by Allein Maliksi and back-to-back layups by Mark Barroca and Rome dela Rosa made it, 99-79, with 3:28 left.
The Hotshots foiled JP Erram’s big night. The former Ateneo slotman shone on both ends and nearly had a triple-double with 11 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks for the Elite, who dropped to 0-2.