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Batang Pier improves to 3-0 after dismantling Hotshots
The NorthPort Batang Pier won their third straight victory in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup after overcoming Magnolia Hotshots, 107-103, on Wednesday, December 4, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
NorthPort relied on their defense to get the win. The Batang Piers tallied 15 steals and seven blocks, and also forced 24 opponent's turnovers.
Import Kadeem Jack led NP with his double-double output of 30 points and 11 rebounds, to go along with two steals and two blocks.
Arvin Tolentino and Joshua Munzon logged in 27 and 25 a piece to lead the local unit.
Tolentino got four rebounds, one steal and a block. He also drew fouls from opponents 11 times, while Munzon added nine boards, three assists, and five steals to his name.
Photo Courtesy: PBA
"If we defend at a high level, I think we'll give ourselves a good chance to win more games," said Munzon.
Another factor for NorthPort's triumph was the 22-6 fastbreak points advantage that they had against the Hotshots.
Meanwhile, Magnolia relied on their rookie Jerom Lastimosa to carry the load for the team as Paul Lee was sidelined due to injury and import Ricardo Ratliffe was not in his true form because of a nagging shoulder.
Lastimosa poured out his conference-best of 27 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and two steals in almost 35 minutes of playing time.
Three other local Hotshots scored in double digits but not enough to steal the victory. Rome Dela Rosa contributed 16, Mark Barroca produced 14, and Aris Dionisio added 13.
Ratliffe only scored 10, far from his usual 27.5 average. He also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds but not enough for Magnolia to steal the game.
The triumph of the Batang Pier gave them a solo hold of the lead in the team standings, while the Hotshots fell to a 1-2 record after winning their first game of the conference but dropping their next two.
The Scores:
NORTHPORT 107 – Jack 30, Tolentino 27, Munzon 25, Yu 9, Nelle 5, Navarro 4, Flores 4, Onwubere 3, Bulanadi 0, Tratter 0, Miranda 0, Cuntapay 0.
MAGNOLIA 103 – Lastimosa 27, Dela Rosa 16, Barroca 14, Dionisio 13, Ratliffe 10, Eriobu 7, Sangalang 6, Lucero 4, Ahanmisi 3, Abueva 3, Mendoza 0.
Quarter Scores: 28-31; 59-52; 77-78; 107-103.
