By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

HAVING lost their last two games in the PBA Philippine Cup, the Magnolia Hotshots are out to reverse the trend and get back to winning when they take on the GlobalPort Batang Pier today in the 7 p.m. main game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Winners of five straight matches in the season-opening Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) tournament at one point, the Hotshots (6-3) have hit a road block and dropped two consecutive matches which have stymied their assault on a top two finish in the eliminations and earn the twice-to-beat incentive that goes with it in the next round.

Magnolia lost to the defending champions San Miguel Beermen and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in that order with the last one coming last weekend in an out-of-town contest in Pangasinan.

The Hotshots never really got much headway in said match, trailing the E-Painters throughout en route to a 101-95 defeat.

Aldrech Ramos paced Magnolia against Rain or Shine with 27 points with Rome Dela Rosa and Jio Jalalon chipping in 15 and 14 points, respectively.

Mark Barroca was the other Hotshots player who scored in double-digits with 10 points.

“We have to have the proper mind-set heading into the playoffs. Our goal is to get to the top two and to achieve that we have to stay focused in our games,” said Magnolia coach Chito Victolero as they hit the homestretch of their elimination round campaign where they are currently in joint second place with the idle Alaska Aces (6-3), behind league-leading San Miguel (6-2).

SHORT TURNAROUND
Looking to keep the Hotshots grounded are the Batang Pier, who are playing in a short turnaround after playing their last game on Wednesday, a win over the TNT KaTropa, 99-84.

The win improved GlobalPort to 4-4, in good position to claim a playoff spot with three games remaining in its elimination round schedule.

Guard Nico Elorde had a solid all-around game in the win finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

Stanley Pringle had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds while Bradwyn Guinto and Yousef Taha added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

“The players really want to enter the playoffs and this win certainly helps our push. We started aggressively and made sure to make it hard for TNT by being physical on defense,” said winning coach Pido Jarencio of the mind-set they had last time around.

Meanwhile in the opener at 4:30 p.m., the Blackwater Elite (3-5) and Kia Picanto (1-7) tussle.

The Elite, who had a good start to the conference before stumbling midway, will try to save their campaign by winning as many games as possible in their remaining assignments, hoping to book a spot in the tail end of the playoff race.

Kia, for its part, tries to wiggle out from a three-game losing streak and earn a respectable finish in yet another rebuilding campaign in the PBA.

Also today the voting for the PBA All-Star Game begins both online and in various PBA playing venues.

The first phase of the voting ends after the semifinals of the Philippine Cup and resumes thereafter until the first week of the eliminations of the Commissioner’s Cup.

Just like last year, the PBA All-Star festivities will be island-hopping from May 23 to 27 with events set in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

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