ANGELES CITY – It just so happened Paul Lee was the one who struck the dagger into the hearts of the NLEX Road Warriors, sending godfather Yeng Guiao reeling to his second straight loss inside the PBA bubble.
“Nagkataon lang na si ninong yun,” said Lee, whose rare four-point play highlighted Magnolia’s thrilling 103-100 win in the Philippine Cup Wednesday night at the Smart 5G-powered Angeles University Foundation gym.
“Naka-tsamba lang tayo,” he added.
But it was a perfectly designed play coming off a timeout, with Lee the perfect person to execute it.
He said coach Chito Victolero designed it for him should he get a good look at the basket.
“Yun talaga ang hinahanap namin. Buti na lang na-execute namin ng maayos,” said the veteran guard, who also credited big man Ian Sangalang for providing a solid pick that freed him from his guard Anthony Semerad.
“Yung ginawa ni Ian na screen solid kaya nalibre ako,” said Lee.
Until Lee came with his endgame heroics, the Hotshots were down, 97-100, with 40 seconds to go after successfully climbing back from a 22-point deficit.
The Angas ng Tondo then hit the game-tying three-pointer with a foul to boot from Semerad, who committed his sixth and final foul.
Lee sank the bonus foul shot to put the Hotshots in front to stay, 101-100.
The Magnolia guard engaged Semerad in trash talk during the fourth quarter, and obviously, Lee had the last laugh.
“Ang daming sinasabi sa akin (Semerad), pero ayaw naman tumingin (sa akin) kapag nakaka-shoot ako,” said a smiling Lee as he recalled his on-court banter with the Fil-Australian.
Lee put in the last word in his word war with Semerad on his Instagram page later:
He certainly wouldn’t do that to Guiao, his former coach at Rain or Shine, when the game was over. He didn’t even bother to seek out the champion coach shortly after.
“Hindi na, baka mainit ang ulo mapagalitan pa ako,” he said. “Ok naman na, nag-bless naman ako sa kanya bago mag-start yung game.”
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