Magnolia comes back at Rain or Shine for entry ticket into finals

“Finals Bound! 63 – 60 in favor of the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok! Best Player: Rafi Reavis with 8 points and 20 rebounds #PBALabanKungLaban #PBASemis” (Photo: PBA/Facebook)

Being 17 points down during the third quarter, the Hotshots were able to come back and push their opponents into overtime. Forty-one-year-old Rafi Reavis showed his veteran ways by working under pressure and scoring a total of eight points but chipping 20 rebounds and three blocks – one of those blocks denying Elasto Painter James Yap from scoring a game-winning three-pointer in the last minute and a half of the game. Teammate Ian Sangalang had a double-double at 11 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks, while Paul Lee added 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

For RoS, it was James Yap who scored the highest at 14, adding four rebounds and three assists against his former team. Gabe Norwood delivered 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while Jewel Ponferada contributed nine points. But, it was Magnolia who was able to set up defensive plays that gave them the win.

Responding to their victory, Coach Chito Victolero wants to “thank [his] players,” saying, “I’m so proud of them. I love the grit, I love the resiliency, I love the effort, the energy. They don’t give up,” also referring to being down 0-3 at the beginning of the conference. He added in Filipino, “The chemistry of this group is indescribable. They just love each other.”

Responding to his performance, Reavis also told the media, “It’s just about effort. It’s gonna boil down to who wanted it more, so those are all effort plays the rebounds, the hustle points. There’s nothing glorious about it. It’s all about who’s gonna do the dirty work better, that’s what this series was about and that’s what it came down to. It’s just the dirty work and that’s what I’m known for doing.”

Game One of the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven finals series begins on Wednesday, May 1 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, where Magnolia will be facing the San Miguel Beermen.