MAGNOLIA is getting ready to play in the quarterfinals of the PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup but head coach LA Tenorio is focused on bigger goals.
Tenorio was far from satisfied when the Hotshots booked a quarterfinal berth two Sundays ago after defeating Barangay Ginebra, 112-93.
“Yes, for now, it’s a good achievement for us once again. But we want to get over the hump. The goal is not really just to enter the quarterfinals. It’s big for us. It’s really big for us… But our goal is much bigger than the quarterfinals,” said Tenorio.
READ San Miguel beats NLEX after great comeback from 20-point deficit
Magnolia has not advanced past the quarterfinals since playing San Miguel in the 2023-24 Season Commissioner’s Cup Finals. That’s four conferences, to be exact, that the Hotshots haven’t made it past the first rounf of the playoffs.
Tenorio is determined that this conference will be a different story, which is why Magnolia isn’t planning to slow down as it closes the elimination round against Rain or Shine on Wednesday at the Ynares Center-Antipolo.
With a 6-3 win-loss mark, Magnolia can clinch No. 1 seed in Group B with a win, thereby setting up a best-of-five quarterfinal against TNT, the fourth-ranked team in Group A.
The game against Rain or Shine, a perennial semifinal contender, will serve as a test for Magnolia in terms of their readiness to achieve that goal.
“It’s an opportunity for us and it’s another challenge for us where parang kami dito ‘yung naghahabol doon sa mga big teams. So another challenge for us para going into the playoffs maganda ‘yung momentum namin,” Tenorio said.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
