Magnolia Hotshots steal Game One
Game Tomorrow (Mall of Asia Arena) 6:30 p.m. – Magnolia vs San Miguel (San Miguel leads series 1-0)
The Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok rallied from a 20-point third quarter deficit behind the heroics of Ian Sangalang, rookie Robbie Herndon and veteran center Rafi Reavis and stunned the defending champion San Miguel Beermen, 105-103, last night in a wild start to the PBA Philippine Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Sangalang scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, including two pressure-packed free throws off a June Mar Fajardo foul with 16.5 seconds left that broke a 103-all, to complete a courageous rally that seemed unimaginable when the Beermen took command 72-52 in the third.
But Magnolia needed one defensive stop following Jio Jalalon’s two missed foul shots with 2.6 seconds, which came from Reavis, a veteran of numerous championship battles since making his PBA debut in 2002.
Reavis saved the Hotshots from a potential disaster when he blocked Arwind Santos’ game-tying attempt from about 21 feet, triggering massive celebrations from a Magnolia team that won the opener of its first finals appearance since completing a Grand Slam in 2014.
“We’re the underdogs. Kahit ano pa ang sabihin natin from the start, wala namang maniniwala na mananalo kami dito eh. But we tried,” said Magnolia coach Chito Victolero, a winner in the first finals game of his coaching career.
Magnolia goes for a 2-0 lead tomorrow night at the Mall of Asia Arena, but is preparing for San Miguel juggernaut to come out after the bitter disappointment of letting a sure win slip away. Such victory, however, has given the Hotshots a high-level of belief that they can topple the Beermen dynasty in the PBA’s oldest and most prestigious tournament.
“When you lead by 20 points in a championship game and you end up losing the game, it’s very disappointing,” said Austria.
Fajardo’s 31 points, including a three-point play for that 72-52 lead with 8:21 lead that almost cemented the game in San Miguel’s favor, all went to waste as Magnolia showed a refuse-tolose attitude with Sangalang leading the way.
Sangalang, who many see his matchup with Fajardo as a test whether he is deserving of the tag as one of the PBA’s premier centers, carried the Hotshots’ fightback in front of inspirational leader Marc Pingris, in his first appearance since injuring his left ACL in the semifinal series against the NLEX Road Warriors.
The Hotshots also got an unlikely lift from Herndon, the Fil-American shooter drafted sixth overall by GlobalPort in the draft but was acquired days later. He hit all eight points in the payoff period, including back-to-back threes during the searing rally.
Paul Lee, who went 2-of-13 for four points, hit a running jumper that tied the game at 97-all with 3:24 left. Mark Barroca and Sangalang later converted a pair of baskets to make it 103-100 Hotshots, 43.2 to go in the ballgame.
But Marcio Lassiter, San Miguel’s best player in the semifinal series domination of Barangay Ginebra, unloaded a game-tying triple, 103-all, only for Magnolia to counter with Sangalang outwitting Fajardo with a fake and a foul on the ensuing possession, subsequently making the go-ahead charities.
- Sangalang 29, Ramos 15, Barroca 14, Dela Rosa 11, Herndon 8, Jalalon 7, Reavis 6, Pascual 5, Lee 4, Melton 0, Simon 0, Brondial 0. - Fajardo 31, Cabagnot 27, Lassiter 21, Santos 19, Rosser 4, Ross 1, Pessumal 0, Espinas 0, De Ocampo 0. Quarters: 25-33, 47-63, 75-89, 105-103.