Magnolia pulls away late, sends Meralco to fourth straight loss

Magnolia overcame a rain delay and delivered a dominant fourth-quarter performance to defeat Meralco, 105-88, in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Governors’ Cup on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The game was temporarily halted due to a roof leak at the venue, which had also dealt with flooding issues at its entrance the previous week. However, the interruption did not affect Magnolia’s momentum as the Hotshots regrouped and finished strong.

Leading by just one point, 71-70, entering the final period, Magnolia quickly took control. KJ Buffen started the scoring before the Hotshots erupted for a 19-5 run that pushed their advantage to 90-75 with 5:10 remaining.

Magnolia dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring Meralco, 34-18, to secure back-to-back victories for the first time this conference and improve to 3-3 in Group B. The win also moved the Hotshots into a tie for third place with Blackwater.

"Nagtanong na 'ko kung ano mangyayari, 'yun pala itutuloy yung laro. Honestly nag-worry ako," said Magnolia head coach LA Tenorio regarding the delay. "But that's beyond our control. We have to give credit to our players for responding."

Buffen led Magnolia with 27 points and seven rebounds, while Jerom Lastimosa provided a major boost off the bench with 17 points, five rebounds, and six assists.

Lastimosa played a key role during Magnolia’s decisive fourth-quarter surge, scoring eight points during the 19-5 run.

Ian Sangalang posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Zavier Lucero added 10 points.

The Hotshots will aim for their third consecutive victory when they face Phoenix on Aug. 12 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Meralco, meanwhile, suffered its fourth straight defeat after opening the conference with two wins. Antonio Hester led the Bolts with 24 points, while Jason Brickman added 19.

Chris Newsome scored 17 points and CJ Cansino contributed 15 as Meralco dropped to 2-5 and remained at the bottom of Group B.

The Bolts will attempt to end their losing streak against Barangay Ginebra on Aug. 14 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.