ANTIPOLO – In the end, Magnolia got the job done.
The Hotshots on Sunday night clobbered NLEX, 112-81, to complete the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinal picture — and ensure that their catch-up efforts late in the elimination round wouldn’t go down the drain.
Pushed to the brink after falling to 3-6, Coach Chito Victolero and Co. went on to submit spirited performances to stay alive and their rout of the Road Warriors at the Ynares Center here ultimately saved what’s been an edgy campaign.
Still, they will be in another do-or-die encounter in the quarters against the top-seeded NorthPort on Thursday but the veteran-laden crew is relieved just by the fact that they made it past the preliminaries after being feared to miss.
(C) PBA Images
“All the struggles, all the mistakes, all the injuries, and the frustrations that we had in the past, it boiled down to this game,” said Victolero, who hasn’t missed the quarters since assuming the club’s head coaching role in 2016.
“Credit to all the players, thankful to them because we embraced that challenge, we embraced the struggles, and yung tinatawag naming grit, determination, perseverance, lumabas lahat sa game na to,” he added.
Ricardo Ratliffe has been a key figure in their rally and that remained the same in the playoff for no. 8, finishing with 32 points and 14 rebounds while adding three assists and two blocks in the 43 minutes he played.
Zav Lucero came off the bench and produced 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a block — all without a single turnover. Veteran winger Rome Dela Rosa chipped in 13 points, spiked by a trio of three-pointers.
Ian Sangalang also had 13 points while Mark Barroca supplied 11 points and six assists as their balanced attack was big thanks to the 30 assists they dished as a collective, which was a far cry from the eight that their foes tallied.
The way they shared the wealth was key in their third-quarter surge, which proved to be the start of an all-Magnolia show from a 44-all knot at halftime as they erupted for 36 big points to build an 80-67 lead entering the fourth.
“Thankful and appreciative and very grateful sa lahat ng players because you know, the character of this team, I believe in everybody here because we experienced it before, especially this guy,” said Victolero, pointing to Ratliffe.
“I told him to keep grinding, keep digging deep because this is the time that we need to have each other’s backs and stay together. I want the guys that have the experience and character to battle and to go to war,” he added.
The Hotshots did dig deep when they fell to a precarious spot, leading to four straight wins in a sudden turnaround that has led them to a collision course against the twice-to-beat Batang Pier, whom they lost to earlier albeit narrowly.
“I like our chances,” Victolero said, “because right now, we’re playing on both ends of the floor. Ang pinakagusto ko lang, we’re all healthy. This is only, I think, the second or third game that we’re fully healthy, lahat ng players ko.”
(C) PBA Images
Robert Bolick, meanwhile, had 27 points and six assists to lead the Road Warriors, who actually started out hot by opening the game with a 15-4 blitz only to go stagnant afterward, before losing their spunk come the third canto.
Javee Mocon had 13 points. Kevin Alas had 12 while rookie Xyrus Torres added 10 as the locals tried to generate offense amongst themselves on a night the usually effective Mike Watkins got held to 10 points and 14 rebounds.
Now, Coach Jong Uichico and his wards are headed for what should be a hectic midseason break ahead gearing up for the season-ending Philippine Cup after missing the quarters for the third time in the last seven conferences.
The Scores:
Magnolia 112 – Ratliffe 32, Lucero 14, Dela Rosa 13, Sangalang 13, Barroca 11, Abueva 8, Dionisio 8, Lastimosa 5, Lee 4, Balanza 4, Alfaro 0, Laput 0, Eriobu 0.
NLEX 81 – Bolick 27, Mocon 13, Alas 12, Watkins 10, Torres 10, Semerad 5, Nieto 2, Policarpio 2, Ramirez 0, Rodger 0, Herndon 0.
Quarterscores: 21-21, 44-44, 80-67, 112-81.
