PLAIN and simple, Magnolia lost a won ballgame.
Coach Chito Victolero admitted the Hotshots let their guards down in the final two minutes of their encounter against the Meralco Bolts on Wednesday night and paid dearly for it.
“It was a bad loss. We controlled the game for 46 minutes and then nag-relax kami on the last two minutes,” the champion coach said as he pondered on the fate that befell his team in a 95-94 loss at the Don Honorio Ventura State University in Bacolor, Pampanga.
“It’s our fault. Siguro na-feel namin na ok na. Pero alam mo sa basketball marami ang puwedeng magyari.”
The unthinkable did happen.
Magnolia led 93-80 right at the final two-minute mark and appeared to be on its way to claiming win No. 5 and remain on top of the standings as one of only two unbeaten teams so far in the PBA Philippine Cup.
Magnolia freezes in endgame
But the Hotshots imploded in the next 120 seconds as they committed one turnover after the other, which the Bolts converted to a major 14-1 run and pulled away from the jaws of defeat.
When everything was over, the Hotshots were in a daze.
“Medyo masakit. Akala siguro namin tapos na,” said Victolero.
In the end, it was but a big learning experience for his team, according to Victolero.
“I just told them we need to finish strong. We need to play 48 minutes of basketball, hindi 46 minutes, hindi 47 minutes,” he said.
“So we have to learn from that. We have to forget it and move forward from that. We don’t have to dwell on that especially after two days we have another game.”
Blackwater is next on Magnolia’s schedule of game on Friday.
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