In the opening PBA semi final, Magnolia flourishes in the trenches

Magnolia's resilience during Wednesday's tumultuous opening game against Phoenix may serve as a metaphor for how either team performs in their PBA Commissioner's Cup semifinal series.

“We couldn’t find our rhythm,” admitted coach Chito Victolero after the Hotshots’ 82-79 victory over the Fuel Masters at Smart Araneta Coliseum. “I told them that we have to grind every single possession and we have to show our mental toughness.”

Both teams missed at least 40% of their attempts in Magnolia's game, but import Tyler Bey overcame his own shooting difficulties to score a three-point play with 1:27 remaining off a Paul Lee drop-off pass.

Bey of Magnolia, who is crucial to their effort to win their first PBA championship since 2018, expects fresh difficulties in Game 2. He says it's an important game in the series and that we should learn from our mistakes and keep getting better.

Despite missing six attempts from beyond the arc, Magnolia overcame Phoenix in their first meeting since Wednesday. With a nine-point advantage in the third quarter, the underdog Phoenix club showed no symptoms of fatigue. In addition to scoring 25 points, Jason Perkins welcomed the toughness of the Magnolia frontcourt. After sister teams San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra, Magnolia ranked third with just 39% of its shots made. With 11 points, but just three of ten, Paul Lee led the local scorers. This conference, the defense of the team kept them below 80 points three times.

Via Inquirer