Hotshots outlast Painters in Game 3
Game Sunday (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 6:30 p.m. — Phoenix Pulse vs San Miguel (San Miguel leads series 2-0) Game Monday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7 p.m. — Magnolia vs Rain or Shine (Rain or Shine leads series 2-1)
Ian Sangalang made big baskets down the stretch and Magnolia prevailed 85-74 to cut Rain or Shine’s lead to 2-1 in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Sangalang scored 10 of his 16 points in the final six minutes to help the Hotshots prevent the Elasto Painters from gaining a commanding 3-0 lead going into the Lenten break.
His medium-range jumpers and one-handed shots at the post enabled Magnolia to gain the upper hand after the game’s final deadlock at 69-all.
Paul Lee was also instrumental with 16 points while Mark Barroca and Jio Jalalon combined for 14 points while grabbing 10 rebounds apiece to play key roles in Magnolia’s return to its old ways.
“We were able to bring back our way of playing Magnolia Hotshots basketball which is to play pesky defense and be more aggressive on both sides,” said coach Chito Victolero.
The break is something Victolero and the Hotshots are embracing after playing seven games in the last 14 days that began with a hard-fought threegame quarterfinal conquest of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
Meantime, the league fined San Miguel Beer’s Christian Standhardinger P20,000 and Phoenix Pulse’s Calvin Abueva P15,000 for a pair of incidents that marred their game last Monday. The league said Standhardinger was penalized for kicking Abueva in the second quarter of the Beermen’s 92-82 win that resulted in a Flagrant Foul 2 while Abueva was caught on television flashing his middle finger multiple times.
Lee 16, Sangalang 16, Melton 9, Jalalon 8, Dela Rosa 7, Reavis 7, Barroca 6, Reavis 6, Brondial 5, Simon 3, Ramos 2. Mocon 18, Belga 12, Torres 10, Daquioag 7, Yap 6, Nambatac 6, Norwood 6, Alejandro 3, Rosales 2, Borboran 2, Ponferada 2.
Quarter: 15-17, 35-42, 57-63, 85-74.