The Magnolia Hotshots Chicken Timplados stormed to a dominant 21-7 first-quarter lead and withstood a fierce comeback attempt from the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to claim an intense 80-73 victory, securing their first win under Coach LA Tenorio on October 5.
Top Performers of the Day:
Zavier Lucero MAG PF 17 PTS | 7 REB | 4 STL | 46.4 FPS
Lucero continues to stand out on offense, leading all scorers in the game. Last tournament, he was one of the league’s best scorers, averaging 18.2 points per game. Defensively, he’s just as impressive, recording at least two stocks in 10 of his last 12 games.
Stephen Jeffrey Holt GIN SG 16 PTS | 17 REB | 4 AST | 42.4 FPS
Holt led the charge, recording his eighth game with 16 or more points and his best rebounding performance of the year. With several of their key players unavailable, he’s expected to continue to play a significant role for the team this season.
Jerom Lastimosa MAG PG 14 PTS | 5 AST | 2 STL | 31.9 FPS
Lastimosa proved to be a capable scoring option last tournament, averaging nearly 10 points per game on 50% shooting from two-point range. However, his outside shooting was a major issue, as he went just 7-of-45 from three and a dismal 1-of-10 against TNT in the playoffs.
Ian Paul Sangalang MAG C 9 PTS | 5 REB | 4 AST | 20.0 FPS
Sangalang provided a solid boost off the bench. In the previous tournament, he was a consistent inside presence, averaging 13.6 points on 58.8% shooting from two, along with 6.4 rebounds per game.
Sonny Estil GIN PF 9 PTS | 7 REB | 1 BLK | 19.4 FPS
Estil shined in his debut, almost notching a double-double in under 20 minutes of play. The No. 11 pick and PBA Draft Combine MVP should continue to see a key role for the Kings with several key players gone and injured.
Mark Barroca MAG PG 7 PTS | 5 AST | 1 STL | 17.9 FPS
Barroca remains a steady presence at the guard position. Last tournament, he averaged 9.6 points, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals across 13 games.
Javier Joaquin Gomez De Liaño MAG SF 14 PTS | 2 REB | 1 AST | 17.9 FPS
Javi GDL impressed in his debut, scoring 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting from three and making timely shots to help keep his team in the lead. He’s a capable offensive option — during the 2023–24 season with the Terrafirma Dyip, he averaged 16.4 points per game on 52.4% shooting from the field and 38.5% from three.
Jeth Troy Rosario GIN C 12 PTS | 5 REB | 2 AST | 17.0 FPS
Rosario continues to provide a solid impact on offense, scoring in double-figures for the fifth straight game since last tournament.
Biggest Disappointment of the Day:
Earl Scottie Thompson GIN SG 5 REB | 1 STL | 1 BLK
Thompson had an underwhelming start to the tournament. While he had a positive impact on defense, he struggled badly on offense, finishing scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting from the field with only 1 assist while committing 3 turnovers and 4 fouls.
