The season is still alive for the Magnolia Hotshots — but for head coach LA Tenorio, the job is far from finished.
Magnolia completed another comeback act against the Meralco Bolts on Wednesday night, escaping with a 95-89 victory at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium to erase Meralco’s twice-to-beat advantage in the Philippine Basketball Association Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals.
After beating the Bolts twice within four days, the Hotshots forced a sudden-death showdown set for Saturday, May 16.
Import Clint Chapman delivered when Magnolia needed him most, finishing with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Jerom Lastimosa backed him up with 17 points as the top-scoring local for the Hotshots.
Magnolia looked headed for a comfortable finish after building a lead that stretched to 19 points, but Meralco stormed back late and even grabbed the advantage inside the final five minutes.
The turning point came with the score tied at 84.
Chapman buried a clutch three-pointer to swing momentum back to Magnolia before setting up Zavier Lucero for a crucial layup that pushed the lead to 89-86 with 1:56 left.
OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.
Isa pa! Hirit ng Magnolia!#PBA50 #PBA50LID pic.twitter.com/PPbewmZ4G5
— PBA (@pbaconnect) May 13, 2026
Lastimosa later had a chance to seal the game from the line but missed two free throws with 22 seconds remaining.
The rookie, however, made up for it immediately by securing the offensive rebound, drawing another foul, and calmly sinking two free throws to stretch the lead to 93-88 in the final 17 seconds.
“I have to give credit to the players for responding to my challenges,” Tenorio said.
“But again, we haven’t achieved anything with this win. We just extended our lives (but) we’ll take this. We’ll take this win, but no time to celebrate,” he added.
While Magnolia thrived under pressure, Meralco struggled to get steady production from import Marvin Jones, who finished with just 16 points on an off shooting night.
Chris Newsome carried the Bolts with a game-high 23 points, but it was not enough to stop Magnolia’s fightback.
Now, with momentum suddenly shifting, the Hotshots head into the do-or-die clash believing their season still has more to give.
Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!
Follow our Facebook page Sports PH News today and be part of a growing community of passionate basketball fans!
Leave a Reply