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Paul Lee made sure the Magnolia Hotshots kept their winning streak alive, helping his squad defeat Painters Rain or Shine Elasto, 70-62, on Saturday at the Angeles University Foundation Sports Arena.
Lee shot 31 points and hit two fadeaways in the last minute to propel his team to victory. He made 11 of 17 shots from the field, including three triples, five rebounds and two assists.
“Of course that is where we were headed, be it Mark (Barroca), Paul or Ian (Sanggalang). That’s what happened in the end,” said Magnolia coach Chito Victolero in Filipino.
As Rain or Shine returned to the game after losing up to 20 points, Lee took matters into his own hands. With just a 66-62 four-point lead, Lee landed a hard jump through the tight defense to extend the lead. The veteran guard then put the icing on the cake by piercing the dagger with 41 ticks left on the clock.
“The leadership of Paul, Mark and Rafi (Reavis) is huge. It’s not just me,” Victolero said of his veterans. “They are the ones who speak on the pitch, they are the ones who seek a way to keep us together.”
The Hotshots built an 18-point lead at halftime, thanks to Lee’s early scoring blast. When their lead shot to 20 points early in the third quarter, Shine’s Rain or Kris Rosales got their team back in the game. Rosales scored 12 points and hit a perfect 4 of 4 from the center in that stretch to keep the Elasto Painters afloat.
Rain or Shine showed more fighting in the final frame and was close behind at the end. Rey Nambatac scored eight of his 11 points in the fourth and there were also timely baskets from Jewel Ponferada. Unfortunately, the Elasto Painters were on the wrong side of a characteristic Paul Lee performance.
Rosales had 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Rain or Shine, followed by Ponferada’s exit of 13 points and 9 rebounds.
The Hotshots marched to a 5-4 record, winning their last four starts, while the Elasto Painters dropped their third straight contest by a 4-4 scorecard.
THE SCORES
MAGNOLIA 70 – Lee 31, Sangalang 14, Barroca 8, Jalalon 7, Reavis 4, Dela Rosa 4, Banchero 2, Calisaan 0, Corpuz 0, Melton 0
RAIN OR BRIGHTNESS 62 – Rosales 14, Ponferada 13, Nambatac 11, Wong 5, Belga 5, Norwood 4, Mocon 3, Onwubere 3, Torres 2, Yap 2, Arana 0, Borboran 0
Quarters: 19-16, 39-21, 56-46, 70-62
ADDITIONAL JARS
– Paul Lee easily beat his scoring average of 20.50 points per game.
– Rain or Shine outrebounded Magnolia 56-47, but only shot 26 percent from the field.
NEXT GAMES
Rain or Shine vs Blackwater Elite, 10:00 am on November 8
Magnolia vs NorthPort Batang Pier, 4:00 pm on November 8
