Clint Chapman proved to be the breath of fresh air Magnolia badly needed as the traditional contenders finally ended their struggles in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup by beating Macau, 121-109, on Saturday evening.
The well-travelled big man actually scored the game’s first basket and that served as a prelude to a solid debut, finishing with 39 points and 15 rebounds to power the Hotshots to their first win after a 0-3 start into the midseason joust.
Hardly needing time to adjust at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, the 37-year-old already scored 11 points in the opening period, although it wasn’t until the third canto where he’d catch fire to lead the breakaway from a 52-51 halftime lead.
Chapman scored 14 points in a 19-3 assault–the first 12 of which came from him–toward a 71-54 advantage with about six minutes remaining.
A former FIBA WASL import like his predecessor in Nuni Omot, the former Texas Longhorn shot an efficient 15-of-26 from the floor, including two threes, and also went 7-of-10 from the free throw line in the 32 minutes he played.
(C) PBA Images
“It’s been a while,” exhaled head coach LA Tenorio, as they finally tasted a win after losing a total of six straight games, dating back to their 101-92 defeat to Rain or Shine in a Philippine Cup special in Bahrain last December 15.
It was by no means an easy victory, however, as Macau rallied back and imposed a major threat when the guest team tied things up at 94-all behind a booming trifecta by Phoenix Shackelford with 5:37 to go in the fourth.
But the youngsters came through, with Zavier Lucero and Jerom Lastimosa converting a three-point play each for the 100-94 lead with 4:42 to go.
Mark Barroca then helped out with back-to-back baskets, and Chapman made sure to contribute with a floater to beat the shot clock and give themselves a 106-99 lead with 3:01 to go, putting Magnolia in control for good.
“Hindi namin makuha ‘yung tamang timpla namin. Ironically, that’s our name, Chicken Timplados, pero hindi namin makuha ‘yung tamang timpla,” Tenorio reflected. “But thank God we got this win, with a big boost from Clint.”
Lucero finished with 23 points and nine rebounds while Lastimosa wound up with 20 points for Magnolia, who’s facing Terrafirma next on April 7, keen on maximizing the time in between to improve their meshing with Chapman.
“You know, the first game’s always a little tough, and now the exciting part is we have time to get better,” offered the Oregon-native.
(C) PBA Images
Shooter Lao Chonpong led the Black Knights with 24 points, all of which he made from three-point distance with a 53.3-percent accuracy.
Tony Mitchell scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, delivering his best performance to date, coincidentally against his former team. Damian Chongqui came through with his own double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Shackelford knocked down three triples and finished with 19 points, alongside five rebounds and six assists, while Jenning Leung added 14 in the comeback that fell just short, ultimately leading to their fourth loss in as many outings.
Now under new head coach Marcus Elliott, Macau will face another traditional powerhouse in San Miguel on Tuesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The Scores:
Magnolia 121 – Chapman 39, Lucero 23, Lastimosa 20, Barroca 8, Lee 8, Gomez de Liano 8, Koon 6, Sangalang 5, Dela rosa 2, Laput 2, Goomez 0, Alfaro 0, Andrada 0.
Macau 109 – Lao 24, Mitchell 22, Chongqui 20, Shackelford 19, Leung 14, Li 5, Cao 3, Lu 2, Chen 0.
Quarterscores: 26-25, 52-51, 84-68, 121-109.
