James Laput made a good account of himself and flashed his potential in powering Magnolia to a decisive 117-83 triumph over Blackwater in the Philippine Basketball Association On Tour preseason tournament at the Ynares Arena in Pasig on Sunday night.
Laput, the 6-foot-9 center, came away with a double-double performance of 12 points and 12 rebounds. He hit six of seven shots from the field and provided the spark needed by the Hotshots, who led from start to finish all the way to posting a convincing victory.
Also coming away with a solid game was Abu Tratter, a one-time member of Blackwater.
Plucked in a trade involving David Murrell, Adrian Wong and a future first round pick, Tratter ended up with 14 markers for the Hotshots, who hit a steady 52% from the field (46-of-87) and made 15 three-point shots in the game.
Magnolia also dominated the inside production, scoring 52 points from the shaded lane, 18 more than their rivals.
Also finishing with 14 points each were Mark Barroca and Jerrick Ahanmisi. Aris Dioinsio added 12 and Jackson Corpuz tallied 10 for the Hotshots.
The Scores:
MAGNOLIA 117 – Tratter 14, Ahanmisi 14, Barroca 14, Dionisio 12, Laput 12, Lee 11, Eriobu 10, Dela Rosa 9, Mendoza 8, Murrell 3, Reavis 0
BLACKWATER 83 – Sena 11, McCarthy 10, Ilagan 10, Ular 9, Amer 8, Casio 6, Suerte 6, Rosario 6, Hill 6, Escoto 5, Ayonayon 3, Taha 2, Publico 1, Banal 0, DiGregorio 0
QUARTERS: 31-19, 68-30, 90-57, 117-83
