The Magnolia Hotshots picked up another cardiac victory over arch-rivals Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 101-97, and to move one win away from the 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals, Monday night at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Hotshots lost hold of a 12-point lead with 3:41 left in the final frame, as the Gin Kings made a spirited 14-4 rally to knock within two, 97-99, with 24 ticks left. But Paul Lee and Romeo Travis sealed the deal with their free throws.
“It was a grind-out game,” exhaled second-year Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero, who is now near his second Finals appearance.
Romeo Travis led the Hotshots with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. Frontcourt partner Ian Sangalang collected 17 points and four boards, while Game One hero Paul Lee chimed in 14 markers and four assists.
Magnolia had been on the cusp of comfortably bagging the win when they posted a favorable 12-point advantage, 95-83, after Romeo Travis’ jumper from the top off the key with 3:41 remaining in the last frame. But the Gin Kings’ never-say-die attitude came into play, as they unfurled a 14-4 scoring blitz – capped by a booming LA Tenorio triple from the corner – to trim the deficit to just a field goal, 97-99, with 24.1 seconds left on the clock.
Lee’s split from the charity stripe with 18.9 seconds left widened the Hotshots’ lead to three, and the Barangay failed to convert, as Tenorio and Justin Brownlee’s potential game-tying three-pointers did not meet the bottom of the net.
The door was still left open for Ginebra as Travis muffed both of his freebies with 4.5 ticks left to play. But luckily for the Hotshots, Rafi Reavis was in the right place at the right time, as he was able to collar the offensive rebound and give it to Travis. Travis made up for his blunder earlier by splitting his charities with 1.8 ticks left to seal the W.
Magnolia will look to finish off their rivals in Game 3 on Wednesday, November 14, still at the Big Dome. But even if the opportunity to sweep the crowd darlings has presented itself, the seasoned Victolero isn’t looking that far.
“I haven’t experienced a sweep. Pero mahirap yun. Basta we’ll just take it one game at a time,” he said.
Brownlee paced the reigning, two-time champions with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. Tenorio and Japeth Aguilar had 15 points apiece, while Greg Slaughter flirted with a double-double of 14 markers and eight caroms.
Ginebra lost their head coach Tim Cone with 9:18 left to play as the decorated mentor was called for two straight technical fouls – the first for disrespectfully addressing an official, and the second for entering the playing court.
Cone’s outburst was due to an apparent missed call by the referees.
The Scores:
Magnolia 101 – Travis 25, Sangalang 17, Lee 14, Dela Rosa 11, Barroca 9, Jalalon 8, Reavis 6, Melton 5, Simon 5, Herndon 1.
Ginebra 97 – Brownlee 31, Tenorio 15, Aguilar 15, Slaughter 14, Thompson 7, Mercado 7, Mariano 4, Chan 2, Caguioa 2, Ferrer 0.
Quarterscores: 21-18, 47-46, 75-68, 101-97.
