Hotshots off to hot start in title defense
Title-holder Magnolia Hotshots are finally enjoying a good start for the first time this season and stand well on track for a targeted Top 4 seeding in the PBA Governors Cup elims.
Breaking the trend that saw them struggle to 0-3 and 0-2 in the first two conferences and needing to make a frantic rush to reach the playoffs, the Hotshots picked up three wins against a lone defeat to kick off their title defense in the season-ending tournament.
“For us it’s very important to have a good start this conference considering the Top 4 will get a twice-to-beat advantage (in the playoffs),” said Magnolia star Ian Sangalang after the Hotshots racked up their third consecutive victory via a 95-90 disposal of winless but tough-fighting Alaska last Sunday.
Sangalang said the 3-1 record should give them cushion and momentum going into the upcoming clashes with powerhouses like the grandslam-seeking San Miguel Beermen on Friday.
“We haven’t played the elite teams like Ginebra, San Miguel or TNT yet and those games are 50-50 for us. Thus, it’s important that we get something from the other games like our last game against Alaska and play as hard,” said the Magnolia center.
The Hotshots know all too well the difficulty of chasing a quarterfinal berth coming off a sluggish start.
In the Philippine Cup, the 0-3 Pambansang Manok had to win six of their next eight games to finish with 6-5 and make the quarters as sixth seed, eventually stretching their drive all the way to the finals, where they lost to the Beermen in seven.
In the succeeding conference, coach Chito Victolero’s charges lost back-to-back but racked up five consecutive triumphs en route to a 5-6 record that sent them to the Last 8 as fifth seeds. Magnolia lost steam, though, dropping their last four games of the elims and eventually yielding to quarters rival Ginebra in two to bomb out.
With their jewel at stake, the Hotshots vowed to do it right this time.
“Of course, we’re the defending champion so there’s pressure. But we don’t let that hang over our heads as we have to get wins as long as we can because we want to land in the Top 4 and get a twiceto-beat,” said Sangalang.