Magnolia gets time to size up semis foe

WITH Magnolia knocking out TNT quickly in the quarterfinal round, coach Chito Victolero said the Hotshots now have the luxury of time to size up their would-be semifinal opponent.

The Hotshots lived up to their billing as the tournament’s top seeds as they flexed their muscles in the opening round of the PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup playoffs by slaughtering the Tropang Giga 109-94. The win vaulted Magnolia to the best-of-five semifinal series where the team waits for the winner of the other quarterfinal pair between fourth ranked Phoenix and fifth ranked Meralco.

The Fuel Masters enjoyed a twice-to-beat edge, but they blew a 15-point lead and got dragged to a triple overtime before bowing to the Bolts 116-107 last Wednesday.

Victolero said it’s hard to pick which team to play in the semis considering that both Phoenix and Meralco possess unique strengths. “They played well. (As you can see), both teams don’t want to lose,” said Victolero in Filipino, obviously referring to Meralco’s courageous effort in outlasting Phoenix that allowed the Bolts to force a sudden death match on Sunday, January 21.

Judging from the way both squads competed, Victolero sees another tight contest when both squads duke it out for the semifinal spot at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“I think it’s another good series. We will just try to watch on Sunday. That’s playoff basketball because nobody wants to quit. Everybody wants to play hard,” he added.

The waiting game also gives the Hotshots’ veteran crew of Paul Lee, Mark Barroca, Ian Sangalang, Jio Jalalon and Calvin Abueva time to rest their bodies as they prepare for the tougher grind ahead.

“These guys also need rest. But during our game, because of our veterans, we are trying to compete as much as possible in practice,” said Victolero, whose team earned the playoff top seed after posting a 9-2 win-loss record.

The 2018 PBA Coach of the Year also commended the team’s veterans for taking the lead in ensuring no one slows down in practice.

“The veterans are doing a good job in reminding the players that we have to compete in practice for us to have a good preparation,” he said.

The Hotshots are eager to go all the way to win the championship this conference since their last league title came during the 2018 Governors’ Cup.