Sports
Magnolia Hotshots are the new 2018 PBA Governors Cup champions
The score ended at 102-86 in favor of Magnolia and was led by Romeo Travis at 32 points, Best Player of the Conference Paul Lee at 16 points, and Ian Sangalang at 16 points. Mark Barroca, who was fined P50,000 for an unsportsmanlike foul after Game 4, redeemed himself and totalled 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists in Game 6 alone, his performance during the best-of-seven series winning him Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP), believing that it was “[his] teammates camaraderie that held [them] together.” The hotshots ended the series early as they wrapped up with a 4-2 standing.
According to Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero, their performance did not just begin at the start of the game, but during their four days of preparation beforehand. He shared in a mix of English and Filipino, “I really saw in the players that they want this game. They want the championship. They are very focused on our preparation.” He added, “In the first three minutes alone, it already showed how we wanted this championship. The start was good and we sustained it until the end,” referring to the 12 unanswered points they gained in the first quarter and a 20-point lead in the third.
On the Alaska end, Best Import of the Conference Mike Harris scored 26 points, Chris Banchero contributed 20, and Jeron Teng provided 14 points, but being the only three players with double digits was not enough for the Aces to gain the lead at any point during the game.
The start of the next PBA conference is in January 2019, this time each team with new additions from the recently concluded rookie draft.
