ANTIPOLO – Magnolia wrested its third straight win, beating Phoenix Super LPG, 115-101, on Wednesday in the PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup at the Ynares Center.
The Hotshots leaned on KJ Buffen and Jerom Lastimosa during a huge fourth quarter to improve to 4-3 (win-loss) and climb to a share of second place with the Fuelmasters in Group B.
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The Fuelmasters were once again hounded by shooting woes in the final quarter, just like in their previous game against Blackwater where they were limited to 14 points.
Buffen had 35 points, and Lastimosa hit a career-high 30 points for the Hotshots.
The Fuelmasters scored just 17 points in the fourth against the Hotshots, running out of gas after a 35-22 burst in the third as they fell to a second straight defeat.
Buffen and Lastimosa combined in Magnolia’s 16-0 blast that turned an 82-86 deficit into a 98-86 lead.
Lastimosa scored 12 points in the fourth alone as he teamed up with Mark Barroca, who had 10 of his 21 in the final canto.
“They responded after that third-quarter run (by Phoenix),” Magnolia coach LA Tenorio said. “Usually, pagka nagkaka-run ‘yung nakakalaban namin ng third quarter, we get deflated or natataranta kami.
"But in today’s game, they stayed positive, and I always say during timeouts that we need stops.”
Stops Magnolia got as it limited Phoenix Super LPG to just 5-of-21 shooting from the field even with BJ Johnson’s 37-point outing for the Fuelmasters.
The scores:
Magnolia 115 – Buffen 35, Lastimosa 30, Barroca 21, Sangalang 10, Lucero 9, Andrada 5, Alfaro 3, Dela Rosa 2, Lee 0, Koon 0, Jopia 0.
Phoenix Super LPG 101 – Johnson 37, Rivero 16, Tuffin 12, Ballungay 12, Mamuyac 10, Tio 7, Santos 3, Escandor 2, Chua 2, Perkins 0, Delos Santos 0, Reavis 0.
Quarters: 28-33; 60-49; 82-84; 115-101.
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