PHOENIX stunned NLEX, 112-77, while Magnolia survived Rain or Shine in a game of two teams with winning streaks.
That’s how things went Saturday in the PBA Philippine Cup in a doubleheader held in separate venues.
Behind a sizzling shooting from three-point range, the Fuel Masters silenced the Road Warriors at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig to deal them a second straight loss and kept alive their playoff hopes.
Over in Tiaong, Quezon, the Hotshots got huge numbers from Ian Sangalang with 25 points and 12 rebounds to turn back the Elasto Painters. The win stretched Magnolia’s winning run to four and secured the no. 2 position at 5-2. On the other hand, Rain or Shine’s five-game winning streak had been snapped for an even 5-5 slate and solo fifth place.
Below are some of the takeaways from Saturday’s doubleheader.
1. Paul Lee finally hit the 1,000 three-point basket milestone at the Tiaong Convention Center. Lee achieved the record on his sixth attempt from beyond the arc with 7:44 left in the game giving the Hotshots an 84-91 lead. According to PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III, Lee became the 10th member of the exclusive club with 1,000 three-point shots made, but the fifth fastest to reach the mark in terms of the number of games played.
2. Phoenix was in a zone over at the Ynares Arena and dealt NLEX a 35-point beating, the all-time biggest win margin by the franchise in the Philippine Cup. The Fuel Masters shot an impressive 17-of-33 from beyond the arc (51 percent) led by the 6-of-9 shooting by RJ Jazul from the same area. Rookie Ken Tuffin was 3-of-3 and Kent Salado was 2-of-2 from three-point range to help the team keep its quarterfinal hopes alive with its 3-5 record.
PHOTO: JEROME ASCANO
3. In contrast to Phoenix, NLEX just came out flat and was a poor 29 percent from the field (26-of-88) including 11-of-50 from beyond the arc. Top gun Robert Bolick was held to just 11 points after averaging a league-best 28.6 points. The 35-point loss is the worst for the Road Warriors under current coach Frankie Lim and came just a point short of the worst beating in franchise history, 111-75, during the 2018 Governors’ Cup against Barangay Ginebra.
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