Hotshots survive Road Warriors, earn right to face Beermen in Philippine Cup finals

MANILA, Philippines — Magnolia edged a valiant NLEX side, 96-89, to finally get over the semifinal hump they’ve been trying to hurdle since the past season, Tuesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Ian Sangalang figured as the spearhead of the Hotshots’ offense anew, piling up 15 points to go with 11 boards. 

Jio Jalalon and Marc Barroca also posted double-double performances of their own. The former finished with 11 points to go with a career-high 13 assists while the latter had 14 markers and 10 rebounds. 

For their part, the Road Warriors — despite losing Kevin Alas to a torn ACL and JR Quiñahan to an early-game ejection — managed to keep the Hotshots within striking range.

Larry Fonacier and Cyrus Baguio’s veteran experience played a key factor. The two swingmen combined for 27 points to bolster the scoring effort. Mike Miranda chimed in a team-best 20.

Kiefer Ravena, the rookie guard who has been vital in NLEX’s multiple outings, had nine points, five rebounds and five assists. 

But with the insatiable hunger of arresting their three-year Finals drought, the Hotshots were not going to let themselves be denied. They managed to erase an 11-point deficit en route to building a seven-point cushion toward the final buzzer.

“I think yun lang talagang depensa namin and desire and will ng mga players na pumasok sa Finals, naging aggressive from start to finish,” shared Magnolia mentor Chito Victolero. “We know na hindi yan madali. We know na kahit undermanned kami or undermanned sila, it's very hard to go to the finals.”

 

.@iansangalang10, Magnolia’s topscorer in Magnolia’s win over NLEX in Game 5, talks about the victory and the Philippine Cup Finals. #PBA2018 pic.twitter.com/PI1VxTol3W

— Denison Rey Dalupang (@sonrd) March 20, 2018

The Hotshots lost veteran slotman Marc Pingirs (torn ACL) late in Game One of the semifinals followed by guard Justin Melton (strained hamstring). 

“This one’s for Ping,” Victolero offered.

The second-year Magnolia coach, in a previous interview, also mentioned the bitter taste of giving up a 3-2 lead in the semifinals last season which added fuel to their fire to dispose of NLEX.

Magnolia’s victory puts Magnolia on a collision course with sister team San Miguel Beer and marks the first time they entered a conference finals since former head coach Tim Cone’s Grand Slam season nearly four years ago.

“’Yung NLEX ni-ready talaga kami diyan,” he said. "Talagang binigyan nila kami ng maganang laban. Mentally and physically we're ready for San Miguel. And kailangan lang siguro namin na makapagpahinga, konting pahinga ang minds bodies namin para maka-regroup kami.” 

The skirmishes, which begin this Friday at the Big Dome, will be the second time the two teams met at the Finals.

The Scores: 

MAGNOLIA 96 — Sangalang 15, Barroca 14, Jalalon 11, Pascual 10, Ramos 10, Dela Rosa 9, Lee 9, Reavis 6, Simon 6, Herndon 4, Brondial 2. 

NLEX 89 — Miranda 20, Fonacier 17, Baguio 10, Ravena 9, Mallari 8, Taulava 7, Soyud 6, Tiongson 5, Quiñahan 4, Ighalo 3. 

Quarters: 20-29, 49-46, 71-68, 96-89.