ONCE again peaking, can Magnolia sustain its momentum?
The Hotshots look to move closer to the finals as they go for a third straight win and a more commanding lead over slumping NLEX in their best-of-seven semifinal showdown in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup.
Ahead, 2-1, Magnolia looks to grasp a 3-1 lead even as the Road Warriors look to equalize when the two collide again in Game 4 today at 7 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
After dropping the series’ opener in heartbreaking fashion and losing Marc Pingris in the process, the Hotshots used those setbacks as their rallying point.
Two games later, they suddenly find themselves ahead, 2-1, with all the momentum on their side.
Magnolia coach Chito Victolero is hopeful his team can carry all the positives in their victories in Games 2 and 3 moving forward.
“It’s about sustaining our aggressiveness and intensity. That’s what we want to carry in the next games in order for us to win again,” said Victolero.
The Hotshots took Game 3, 106-99, Wednesday night, after their talented young turks stepped it up.
Jio Jalalon and Ian Sanggalan joined hands to give Magnolia some much needed lift to grab the upperhand in the series.
The duo combined for 49 points, 25 for Jalalon and 24 for Sanggalang, as NLEX had no answer for them the other night.
But it was Rafi Reavis’ key basket in the endgame on a putback off his own miss that sealed Magnolia’s win over NLEX, 106-99.
Reavis scored only two points but provided the heft and muscle inside, leaving Jalalon, Sangalang, Rome dela Rosa and Paul Lee to carry the brunt of the offense as they made it two in a row over the Road Warriors following a 99-84 triumph in Game 2.
“We wanted to sustain the momentum we got from our Game Two win. We have to dig deep as we’re undermanned,” added Victolero, who will be missing Marc Pingris for the remainder of the season after the power forward/center sustained an ACL injury.
NLEX hopes to regain the touch it had in Game 1 to avoid a huge hole as it faces a must-win situation.
Meanwhile, San Miguel Beer forward Arwind Santos was slapped a P25,000 fine for a flagrant foul and comments against officiating in his team’s 87-95 defeat in Game 3 of its own semis clash with Barangay Ginebra Tuesday night.
