The Magnolia Hotshots were a basket away from stealing the win from the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Friday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. But import KJ Buffen couldn’t deliver the game winner as he was walled off by the Rain or Shine defense.
After the game, LA Tenorio admitted that his team still has to learn how to execute in crucial moments.
“Sayang,” Tenorio said in the postgame presser. “But there’s a lot of positives dito sa game namin. Maraming ‘dapat ito ang nangyari’ or ‘ganyan ‘yung nangyari,’ but we really have to learn how to play down the stretch.”
Rain or Shine held a 95-94 lead after an Adrian Nocum drive in the final minute of the fourth quarter before Magnolia regained the lead, 97-96, on an Ian Sangalang three-point play. However, the Elasto Painters took the lead for good on another Nocum drive to escape with a 98-97 victory.
With 5.6 seconds remaining in the game, Buffen went one-on-one on Magnolia’s final possession, only to be rejected by Aaron Fuller and Jhonard Clarito.
“I think that’s the most important thing. I think lahat naman ng mga talo namin down the stretch eh,” Tenorio added.
In four games this conference, two of Magnolia’s losses have been decided by single digits—a one-point loss to Rain or Shine and an 89-81, eight-point defeat to the Blackwater Bossing.
Tenorio Sticks to Positives
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Tenorio still found some positives from the game.
“I still am very positive pa rin, especially sa game namin today. There’s a lot of positives na nangyari. Of course there’s learnings, especially sa import namin, but we’ll be ready for our next game,” Tenorio said.
The statistical differences between the two teams were not that significant.
Magnolia committed 21 turnovers compared to Rain or Shine’s 18, while the Hotshots shot 33-for-85 from the field compared to the Elasto Painters’ 35-for-72. Rain or Shine also held a slight advantage on the boards, outrebounding Magnolia, 49-45.
In the end, Magnolia will need to carry those positives into its next game, especially with only one day of rest before the highly anticipated Manila Clasico against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Looking Ahead to the Playoffs
The rookie head coach explained that if Magnolia earns a playoff berth, most of its games will likely come down to tough, nail-biting finishes.
“So, again, come playoff game, kung mag-playoff kami, ganun ‘yung mga type na games eh. So we really have to learn to play down the stretch,” Tenorio stressed.
With a 1-3 record in the PBA Governors’ Cup, the Hotshots have three games remaining before the league takes a month-long break for the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers and the 2026 Asian Games.
