Hotshots, Blakely start bid to reclaim title in PBA Governors Cup

Games Friday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

4:15 p.m. – Meralco vs Phoenix

7 p.m. – Mahindra vs Star

MANILA, Philippines –The Star Hotshots and celebrated import Marqus Blakely, denied a treble by the AZ Reid-led San Miguel Beer squad last season, start a quest to reclaim the PBA Governors Cup crown in taking on the Mahindra Enforcers on opening night of the season-ending tourney at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Friday.

The Meralco Bolts, who narrowly missed the finals last conference, tangle with a Phoenix squad with a newly overhauled lineup in the other game at the resumption of the PBA Season 41 which took a long breather to give way to the FIBA Olympic qualifier.

The Bolts and the Fuel Masters, under new coach Ariel Vanguardia, slug it out at 4:15 p.m. then the Hotshots and the Enforcers mix it up at 7 p.m.

This Friday twin bill ushers in back-to-back double-headers at the MOA Arena Saturday and at the Big Dome Sunday.

Blackwater and NLEX face off at 4:30 p.m. then Barangay Ginebra and Globalport square off at 6:45 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday, San Miguel Beer starts its title defense versus Phoenix at 4 p.m. then Alaska Milk faces off with Meralco at 6:15 p.m.

Faring miserably in their first two tourneys under coach Jason Webb, the Hotshots are hopeful they can finally make a breakthrough on yet another return by their champion import.

Blakely, a two-time American East Player of the Year with Vermont U, has led the Star team to three finals, going all the way to the top twice in 2013 and 2014.

The 2013 PBA Best Import winner starts his fifth tour of duty with Star against Mahindra regular import James White backed up by Asian reinforcement Iman Zandi.

White was the choice of Mahindra officials Bobby Rosales, Eric Pineda and Joe Lipa who all flew to the United States in search of an import.

Listed at 6-8, White is said to be a versatile player who played for Arkansas-Little Rock and Georgia Tech in college basketball.

The Mahindra backcourt is likely to draw boost from Zandi, an Iranian guard who is veteran of two Asian Games and two FIBA Asia Championships.

Listed at 6-2, the Isfahan, Iran native is a two-time Iranian Super League MVP (2002 and 2003) and five-time Iranian Super League top scorer (2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2014).

Zandi is one of seven Asian imports strutting their stuffs in the tourney. The others are Syrian Imad Qahwash for Blackwater, Palestine Omar Krayem for Globalport, another Iranian Mohammad Jamshidi for Meralco, Lebanese Rodrigue Akl for NLEX, Korean Lee Kwan Hee for Phoenix, and Syrian Michael Madanly for TNT.

Blakely, meanwhile, is among PBA import returnees including San Miguel’s Reid, Rain or Shine’s Dior Lowhorn, Ginebra’s Paul Harris, Blackwater’s Eric Dawson, Globalport’s Dominique Sutton, Meralco’s Allen Durham, and NLEX’s Henry Walker.

The new imports include White, LaDontae Henton of Alaska, Phoenix’s Marcus Simmons and Talk n Text’s Mario Little.