Hotshots pressed to score equalizer
Game today (MOA Arena) 6:15 p.m. – Magnolia vs San Miguel Beer *SMB leads series, 1-0
Magnolia stands on unfamiliar territory heading into Game 2 of the PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup finals.
League-leaders all-tournament long, the Hotshots find themselves trailing red-hot San Miguel Beer in the race-tofour contest after the Beermen’s 103-95 opening win Friday.
As such, the pressure is on the top seeds to quickly strike back and avoid a 0-2 hole against their highpowered opponents, who have been unstoppable in their last 10 assignments going back to the elims.
“We’re still positive,” said Magnolia coach Chito Victolero ahead of the 6:15 p.m. clash. “This is a series, not a do-or-die (game). Ang importante ngayon is paano kami makakabalik.”
Game One was a hard lesson learned for Victolero’s charges, who allowed SMB to set the tone for the breakaway to big leads that reached a high 20 with a telling 41-20 salvo in the second period.
“41 points (in a quarter) are too much,” said Victolero.
It was educational, too, for the Beermen, whose sputtering windup enabled their rivals to threaten to within five in the final canto and even get a chance to steal it.
“I’m sure they’re going to come out strong and we will have to match their intensity and energy kasi as what you saw, in the last three minutes they poured out their energy while we relaxed,” said San Miguel mentor Jorge Gallent.
“When you play a tough team like Magnolia, you’ll have to play 48 minutes of basketball, because if you don’t, this (Hotshots’ fourth-quarter storm) is going to happen.”
SMB star CJ Perez, the best player of Game One, readily concurred.
“Kailangang maging composed at ‘yung energy namin mas taasan pa kasi ang Magnolia, hindi talaga titigil hangga’t hindi natatapos ang laro.”
The fact that Magnolia managed to cut an 18-point deficit in the fourth and make it a salvageable situation using its shock troopers led by Joseph Eriobu and Russel Escoto generates lots of positive vibes for Victolero.