Hotshots keep hot streak

MANILA, Philippines — Hot on the heels of his explosive outings in two preceding wins, Lee rifled in 31 big points on a lazy Saturday afternoon at the AUF Sports Arena Powered by Smart 5G, capping his heroics with a pair of fadeaway jumpers that iced Magnolia’s fourth consecutive triumph.

Now with a 5-4 record, Lee and company jumped to a share of sixth and seventh with San Miguel while sending the slumping E-Painters (4-4) down to No. 8.

“We talked about grinding it out every game and taking a playoff mentality after our sorry losses and that’s what’s keeping us going,” said Magnolia coach Chito Victolero.

Lee, who erupted for 27 in their 102-92 upset of TNT and 29 in a followup 103-85 win over Terrafirma, made 11 of his 17 shots, including 3-of-8 from beyond the arc.

His early snipings sparked Magnolia to a 39-21 tear in the first half.

The E-Painters, who coughed up a meager five points in the second quarter, woke up after a halftime dressing down from coach Caloy Garcia and made a run for it in the last 24 minutes.

Led by Kris Rosales and Jewel Ponferada, Rain or Shine threatened to within a solitary point with still three minutes left before Lee led an 8-2 windup to seal the deal.

“We just kept our composure when winning time came, “said Lee.