Magnolia may have already secured its place in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals, but the Hotshots made sure to enter the next stage carrying something even more valuable and at the center of that late-season surge was veteran guard Paul Lee.
The 35-year-old rediscovered his touch just in time as Magnolia dismantled Meralco, 93-76, to cap off its elimination round campaign with a third consecutive victory.
While the Hotshots leaned on collective execution throughout the night, it was Lee’s sudden scoring burst in the second quarter that changed the complexion of the game.
Coming off the bench, Lee poured in 13 points along with three rebounds and three assists in only 15 minutes of action. More importantly, he provided the spark that allowed Magnolia to wrest control early.
With Meralco briefly keeping the game within reach, Lee ignited a decisive momentum swing by scoring seven unanswered points. He first knocked down a four-pointer before following it up with a personal 3-point run that fueled a massive 16-0 Magnolia surge and stretched the lead to 26-15.
Lee finished an efficient 3-of-4 from the field, including a perfect 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, while also converting half of his attempts from the free-throw line.
“I think ‘yun lang ‘yung nangyari kanina, nagkaroon lang ng konting mistakes ‘yung Meralco kaya ako na-open. Luckily na-shoot ko ‘yung mga tirang ‘yun,” said Lee.
For the veteran scorer, the performance was less about forcing offense and more about being prepared when opportunities finally appeared.
“Pahinga lang siguro, laking bagay sa akin nung after last game, meron kaming couple of days going into this game, so tinake advantage ko lang,” he said.
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The bounce-back outing came at an important moment for Lee, who struggled in Magnolia’s previous win over TNT where he managed only four points before exiting late after a collision with teammate Jerom Lastimosa caused a head injury scare.
Instead of lingering on that rough outing, Lee responded with his best scoring game of the conference. His resurgence also coincides with a noticeable increase in responsibility under head coach L.A. Tenorio.
After seeing limited opportunities earlier in the conference, Lee has gradually become more involved in the Hotshots’ rotation during the closing stretch of the eliminations.
“Credit to Coach LA, lagi niya kaming nireremind na ‘pag wala namang kailangang gawin, magpahinga na lang kami sa bahay. ‘Yun lang ginawa ko,” the three-time league champion said.
Before exploding against Meralco, Lee averaged 6.5 points across Magnolia’s previous two games, including their matchup against Titan Ultra, while seeing extended minutes averaging 24 per outing.
But beyond the numbers, Lee emphasized that Magnolia’s recent rise has been anchored on discipline within Tenorio’s system — one built on patience, spacing, and trusting.
“Sa team naman, tinatakbo lang namin ‘yung dapat naming takbuhin, ‘yung system ni Coach. Basta ready ka lang dapat sa mangyayari sa flow namin kasi hindi mo alam kung kailan ka ma-wa-wide open kasi read-and-react ‘yung ginagawa namin. Sino ‘yung best available na player, ‘yun talaga ‘yung dapat tumira,” the veteran player said.
The challenge, however, comes immediately as Lee and the Hotshots will face the Bolts once again in the quarterfinals on May 13 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
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