It was as if there was nothing merry in this Christmas of Paul Lee after Magnolia suffered a defeat so humiliating at the hands of Barangay Ginebra.
The Hotshots’ lead gunner could only sigh as he couldn’t put into words his team’s collapse that ultimately dealt the traditional contenders already their fifth defeat in seven outings in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup.
‘”Di ko alam kung anong masasabi ko,” he told reporters moments after their 95-92 loss on Wednesday night at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Magnolia fell to a Scottie Thompson triple just before time expired and that shot, which left the pro-Kings crowd of 12,198 that watched the game live in total jubilation, proved to be the killer punch to an already floored Hotshots.
Floored, you wonder? That’s because Coach Chito Victolero’s wards already led by 22, 76-54, late in the third, only to cough it up and find themselves engaging in a see-saw battle in the finals minutes — and lose in the end.
“We collapsed in the second half,” Lee offered as his team only mustered 37 points as well in that second half after entering the break with a 55-41 lead.
“I mean, RJ Abarrientos happened in the second half. Ang bigat nung second half niya,” the two-time league champion added. “‘Yun ang key don sa panalo niya. Yun ang nag bigay ng another life para sa kanila.”
Sure, Thompson did nail the winning trey but it was RJ Abarrientos who sparked the Ginebra fightback, firing 17 of his 20 points in the second half.
The 25-year-old playmaker was involved in the final play as well, as he was the one who kicked it out to the 2022 PBA MVP to the left corner.
And as the final buzzer sounded, Magnolia was once again left to rue yet another meltdown — something that’s been its problem this conference.
That defeat to Ginebra was actually the third time in the ongoing mid-season tournament that the Hotshots have squandered a big lead and lose.
Their 93-91 defeat to Converge last December 1, for one, saw the team blow a 20-point lead. Seventeen days later, they couldn’t take care of a 100-89 cushion with six minutes left and fell to a 102-100 decision versus Rain or Shine.
“In my opinion, masyado nang mabigat mga nangyari like you said,” admitted the 35-year-old, who’s been averaging 8.5 points this conference.
These are, without a doubt, tough times for Magnolia and for Lee, it’s all on them on how they’d stay together and brave through it heading into their last five games of the eliminations, which could make or brake their playoff hopes.
“It’s a matter of how we’re gonna gather mga sarili namin, kung paanong magsasama pa rin kami at hindi maggi-give up sa isa’t isa,” he said.
“Marami pa naman kaming games. And mas importante na mag focus kami sa next game kaysa mag-pinpoint kami sa isa’t isa sa pagkatalo namin.”
