Paul Lee went on a heater run in the fourth quarter to help Magnolia finish strong against Meralco, 117-92, and stretch their unbeaten run to six in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup, Wednesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The star gunner finished with 27 points, including 18 consecutive in the deciding chapter as he caught fire from beyond the four-point line to put the game away out of reach and keep their hold of the No. 1 spot in the conference standings.
His personal scoring streak began when he made four straight free throws after being fouled by Chris Banchero from 27 feet away, and that warmed him up for the hot shooting display from deep that followed.
Lee went on to knock down three straight quadruples to give his side the 108-86 lead with 4:23 left, all but sealing the victory for the traditional contenders. They compounded on the woes of a weary Bolts side while remaining perfect.
(C) PBA Images
“We just followed the system,” he said. “Credit to all my teammates. Hinahanap nila ako nung nakaisa na ako … ‘Yun na lang ‘yung gagawin ko eh,open shot so kailangan ko na lang i-shoot. Luckily na-shoot ko talaga ngayong araw.”
But what was supposed to be a night that belonged only to Lee and Lee alone got spoiled after emotions ran high approaching the game’s last two minutes.
Benches cleared as players and coaches from both teams tried to pacify the situation as things got heated shortly after Cliff Hodge and Zav Lucero were in the center of a spat following the latter’s hard foul on his younger foe.
It happened at the 2:16-mark and with the game waiting for the final buzzer. The veteran big man was called for an F1 but went to the opposing bench, sparking a tense moment between coaches and team officials.
But the in-venue security team, as well as the league staffers, managed to get the situation under control, and cooler heads prevailed.
“We’re not backing down on anything. We give emphasis doon sa physicality ng Meralco. Palagi naman ganyan eh; it’s a defensive battle. We need to grind all throughout the 48 minutes,” said head coach Chito Victolero.
Four more players finished in double figures for Magnolia, with Ian Sangalang flirting with a double-double of 16 points and nine rebounds.
Lucero and James Laput gave identical numbers of 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Rome dela Rosa chipped in 11 as well.
Mark Barroca could’ve been the fifth Hotshot in twin digits but fell just short as he supplied nine points, alongside 10 assists and six rebounds.
Victolero & Co. will now brace for the home stretch of their campaign in which they will be taking on mostly contenders, beginning with Rain or Shine (3-2) this Sunday, May 18, at the Ynares Center II in Montalban.
(C) PBA Images
Chris Banchero, on the other hand, had 20 points for Meralco, which stumbled to its second straight loss and fell to 3-5 in the standings.
Chris Newsome made 14 points while Raymond Almazan and Bong Quinto had 13 points apiece for the defending conference champions.
Coach Luigi Trillo and his men will have the chance to get back to their winning ways when they face the skidding Blackwater next Wednesday in Antipolo.
The Scores:
Magnolia 117 – Lee 27, Sangalang 16, Dela Rosa 11, Laput 11, Lucero 11, Lastimosa 9, Barroca 9, Alfaro 9, Abueva 8, Escoto 2, Dionisio 0, Ahanmisi 0, Mendoza 0
Meralco 92 – Banchero 20, Newsome 14, Almazan 13, Quinto 13, Hodge 10, Black 10, Cansino 8, Bates 4, Jose 0, Rios 0, Pasaol 0, Torres 0.
Quarterscores: 30-19, 55-45, 82-73, 117-92.
#WATCH: Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero breathes a sigh of relief after a big win over Meralco, knowing tougher battles lie ahead 🏀
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times#PBA2025 pic.twitter.com/YaGrQ6dmYF
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) May 14, 2025
