Months after his season-ending meniscus tear in the 2017 Governor’s Cup, Paul Lee made his return to the Magnolia Hotshots in their season opener Wednesday evening at the FilOil Flying V Center in San Juan.
And he returned with a bang.
The six-foot combo guard, despite having just three days of practice with the Hotshots prior to the opener, exploded for 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting to steer his side to a 108-95 win over the Alaska Aces.
“Si Paul Lee tatlong araw pa lang nagpa-practice yan pero iba talaga ang puso ng bata,” lauded Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero of the seven-year pro.
“He wants to play, he wants to win. I’m very thankful to Paul.”
For Lee, more than the 30 points he produced in his return, what made him even happier was the fact that he had finally regained his groove, even saying that he felt like a fresh graduate with the way he performed.
“Very happy kasi yung pakiramdam ko ngayon, parang feeling ko kaka-graduate lang ng college eh,” said the sixth-year pro. “Parang bumalik yung dating kong groove. Very happy, and thankful sa mga taong tumulong sakin dito.”
“Feeling ko swerte ngayon araw so take advantage lang kung may mga open shots,” added Lee of his game, that saw him grab seven boards and dish out six dimes.
“Siyempre kung may mga teammate na open, kailangan mo rin hanapin.”
Him being able to spend just three days of workouts with Magnolia may seem to be tough for some, but for Lee, it even came in helpful.
“Nakatulong din dahil fresh legs, alam mo yun?” the two-time PBA champion shared. “Wala rin naman ako masyadong ginagawa dahil kaka-start ko lang ng practice… Kaya feeling ko na-save talaga energy ng legs ko.”
The Hotshots’ 2018 Philippine Cup campaign had started on a rousing note. And for Lee, it is just the start of their bid to put an end to their semifinals hump, which has been rolling for a few conferences now.
“Yun talaga goal namin ngayon, sana makuha namin,” said Lee.
“Tatlong conference last season hindi kami makalagpas, hopefully ito mabuo kami.”
