Magnolia finishes strong heading to playoffs after 6th-straight win

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

 

The Magnolia Hotshots earned their sixth-straight victory after a momentum-boosting win against the Blackwater Elite, 95-80.

Paul Lee looked to continue his prolific performance from the last five games by attacking Blackwater’s interior every time he picked up the ball which caused early foul trouble for the Elite interior.

With a sense of urgency of having the much-needed condition and tempo in preparation for the playoffs, Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero did not rest his stars in the usual load management scenario but opted to use them in different lineups.

Rookie Aries Dionisio showed his worth to the Magnolia franchise after another solid outing with 12 points, four rebounds, and three blocks off heavy minutes given to him by coach Victolero.

Mac Belo and KG Canaleta looked to answer the call for Blackwater after trading baskets with Magnolia but there wasn’t enough firepower in their bench after scoring only 80 points the whole game.

With another loss, the Elite will suffer their eighth straight loss, finishing the season with a 2-9 win-loss record.