One of the things that made the 2019 PBA All-Star Weekend in Pangasinan memorable was the pledge made by promoter Double V Productions, where they will donate a wheelchair to Alagang PBA Foundation for every dunk and three-pointer made in the RSJ game and the All-Star Game itself.
Because of that, Sunday’s All-Star Game became a dunkfest and a shootout, which the appreciative crowd inside the Calasiao Sports Complex truly adored. North All-Stars’ Paul Lee himself loved the idea – he even decided to take shots from the three-point area and just from that place alone.
As the buzzer sounded, North defeated South, 185-170. And Lee ended up with nine treys for 27 points.
The gunslinging guard carried over his hot hands Wednesday evening, when his Magnolia Hotshots took on the NLEX Road Warriors in their last assignment in the 2019 Philippine Cup elimination round – a game on which Magnolia’s quarterfinals fate hung.
Lee finished with 26 points built on six triples to lead the Hotshots to a resounding 104-72 win, which helped them lock the six-seed.
“Akala ko may wheelchair [drive] pa rin eh.
“Sana magtuluy-tuloy yung ganung shooting ko, kasi this conference medyo hindi rin consistent yung laro ko sa labas,” quipped Lee, who shot 9-of-16 from the field in over 23 minutes of action, moments after the match.
But more than his personal showing, Lee is glad that the Hotshots will head into the quarterfinals in a much favorable position. This, after struggling for the early part of the all-Filipino conference, where they are expected to deliver after being a finalist in last season’s edition.
“Sobrang importante sa’min yun [best-of-three] kasi ayaw naman namin ma-eliminate ng maaga. At least nakabawi kami sa bad start namin.”
