Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Star Hotshots drew first blood against Barangay Ginebra, 78-74, in their Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup semifinal matchup on Thursday evening at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Paul Lee paced Star with 18 markers, while Mark Barroca chipped in with 17.
It was a display of grit and determination from both teams, as they immediately got in each others faces in the opening frame.
Ginebra managed to stretch their advantage to double digits in the second frame, 35-25, but quickly saw it dissipate to a mere 38-37 advantage before the break.
The Hotshots finally regained the lead after a quick 4-0 swing saw them take the lead, 49-48, at the 6:54 mark of the third period.
Star would stretch their advantage to 60-55, but a Chris Ellis triple before the buzzer ensured that Ginebra would only trail 60-58 headed into the payoff period.
It would take the late game exploits of Lee in the fourth quarter for the Hotshots to finally get some separation.
A Lee floater with time running out gave the Star a crucial 78-74 lead with 24 ticks left on the clock.
Japeth Aguilar attempted a triple to bring the Gin Kings closer, but could not convert as the Hotshots took Game 1 of the series.
Ellis topscored Ginebra with 12 points, while Aguilar finished with 11.
After the game, Star head coach Chito Victolero praised his team’s mentality and effort on the defensive end in the victory.
“It’s all about our team effort, our team defense,” Victolero said. “We need that mental toughness for us to win this game.”
Star will look to build on their victory when they contest Game 2 against the Gin Kings on Saturday.
