The Magnolia Hotshots have officially booked their tickets in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup semifinals after winning over Barangay Ginebra for Game Three in the best-of-three series last Wednesday, April 10 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Paul Lee conquered the do-or-die game with 25 points, including five shots beyond the arc, while Mark Barroca and Aldrech Ramos also chipped double digits at 13 points and 11 points respectively. Ian Sangalang had a double-double at 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Governors Cup champions will next be facing Rain or Shine for the best-of-seven series starting Friday, April 12.
For Ginebra, it was Jeff Chan who led the way with 22 points, really fighting for the win by providing 17 of his points in the last quarter alone. Japeth Aguilar followed with 16 points, Joe Devance had 12 points, while Scottie Thompson had his career high since he’s been with the Kings at 19 rebounds. As they are eliminated, it’s back to the drawing board for Coach Tim Cone as they await for the Commissioner’s Cup in May.
During the post-game interview, Hotshots’ head coach Chito Victolero shared with the media, “It’s all God’s will. I don’t know how we survived this conference. But I’m very proud of my players. It’s all about their grit, effort, and desire to win and recover from that horrible start.”
LA Tenorio of the Gin Kings applauds their opponent for “figuring out the formula on how to beat [them],” telling reporters after the game, “We just had to be more aware and more prepared with what they do to us.” He added in a mix of English and Filpino, “Before, they couldn’t figure out how to beat us. But now, it’s the other way around. Now, it’s our turn to figure out how to beat them.” Looking forward, he concluded, “I think we have to learn and look back what were our lapses this conference, not only this playoffs, but this conference.”