By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Magnolia Pambansang Manok Hotshots made sure there will be no third and deciding game against the Rain or Shine Elastopainters.
Determined to put the series to sleep, the Hotshots banked on their team chemistry and deep roster rotation as they took down Rain or Shine, 96-86, and swept them in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals.
Paul Lee was a man on a mission after erupting for 11 points in the first quarter alone that helped Magnolia kick off the duel with an early double-digit lead.
The onslaught continued soon as Calvin Abueva entered the game as he electrified Magnolia with his rebounding and perimeter slashing.
However, Rain or Shine refused to back down and trimmed the lead to just eight, 49-41, off a Hail Mary heave from James Yap to end the second quarter.
Rain or Shine continued their valiant fight back in the third quarter as they managed to turn the tide and cut the lead to just a single possession, 71-69.
With their offense struggling and the Elastopainters within striking distance, Magnolia’s backup point guard Jio Jalalon answered the call and made a personal 6-0 run to balloon their lead once again.
Jalalon’s offensive spurt was exactly what the Hotshots needed as they never looked back and continued to play an outstanding fourth quarter that forced a struggling Rain or Shine team to miss a lot of shots.
“I told my players that it’s a defensive battle from start to finish; we need to execute on both ends of the floor. Kinailangan lang namin mag-grind nang mag-grind for forty-eight minutes,” said head coach Chito Victolero.
With the huge victory, the Hotshots are now through to the Philippine Cup semifinals.
