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Magnolia Hotshots head coach Chito Victolero. PBA PICTURES
MANILA, Philippines – Magnolia was one of two teams that already saw action before the PBA bubble, ensuring that it did not suffer the same fate it experienced in the opening match of the Philippine Cup.
The Hotshots came back 22 points down, 70-48, in the third quarter, and upset NLEX 103-100 in their first game of the restart at the Angeles University Foundation on Wednesday.
Coach Chito Victolero is aware of the importance of getting that first victory, especially in the bubble where teams play every day.
“Here in the bubble you can’t go down 0-2, 0-3, 0-4, because it will be a difficult hole to get out of,” Victolero said in Filipino. “Other teams will also come back and get some wins, so you can’t be left behind.”
“We especially because we started 0-1.”
Magnolia lost to San Miguel in the first game of the 2020 season and this victory against the Road Warriors was a major sigh of relief for Victolero and his team.
“This is a good momentum driver for us. We at least got a win and we are looking forward to our next game. “
A vital component of the Hotshots’ victory was the energetic play of power forward Jackson Corpuz.
Seen as the new rebound plug after club legend Marc Pingris, Corpuz has been credited as Victolero’s revolutionary force against the Road Warriors.
Corpuz finished the game with nine points and nine rebounds and it was his work on the glass that hit Victolero.
“I told Jack in the first half that he’s too hyper, too excited, so when he calmed down in the second half, that’s when we got our energy, rebounds and defensive pressure on the big rivals,” Victolero said.
Corpuz, who arrived at Magnolia in December, played for 24 minutes and had the best rebound rate of his team at 17.48 percent, just above center Ian Sangalang’s mark of 14.56 percent.
Only NLEX center Raúl Soyud, who is two inches taller and bigger than Corpuz, had a better rebound rate of 25.42%.
Assisting Corpuz in his acclimatization to the Hotshots is Pingris himself and Victolero said the former Filipino international can be seen in the Magnolia newcomer.
Victolero even compared the duo to the anime characters Hanamichi Sakuragi and Kicchou Fukuda, who are the main and supporting characters, respectively, of the cult classic Slam Dunk.
“Ping has really been teaching Jack the system and our schemes on defense,” Victolero said. “I think Ping sees himself in Jack. That’s really helpful in the transition because Ping is not getting any younger. “
“The good thing here is that Ping is helping the younger great men. But once I get back to the ground, we can have our own version of Sakuragi and Fukuda. “
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