The Magnolia Hotshots avenged their first-round loss to the Phoenix Fuel Masters, getting the better of the latter, 115-101, on Wednesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. The win is Magnolia’s third straight and fourth overall against three losses in this PBA Governors’ Cup. The loss is Phoenix’s second in a row. Importantly, for the Hotshots, their 14-point margin of victory means they have the higher aggregate in case they end up tied with the Fuel Masters in the final standings.
What Happened?
Phoenix scored the opening field goal and got hot in the first quarter with BJ Johnson and Ricci Rivero towing the Fuel Masters to a 33-28 advantage. Magnolia responded with a defensive masterclass in the second, holding Phoenix to just 16 points while KJ Buffen, Mark Barroca, and Jerom Lastimosa led a 32-point effort. As a result, the Hotshots entered halftime ahead, 60-49.
The Fuel Masters turned the tables in the third, with Johnson and Kenneth Tuffin spearheading a 35-point explosion even as the Phoenix defense held Magnolia to only 22. The 13-point turnaround gave the Fuel Masters an 84-82 lead heading into the final frame. Phoenix then scored the first two points of the fourth, only for the Hotshots to unleash 14 unanswered—the first 8 coming from Lastimosa—to take a 96-86 advantage. Magnolia never looked back, ultimately sealing the victory and quotient advantage on a Zavier Lucero three-point play in the waning seconds.
Who Stood Out?
KJ Buffen and Lastimosa starred for Magnolia, as each submitted career highs. Buffen fired a PBA career-best 36 points on 13-for-18 shooting on top of 10 rebounds, while Lastimosa hit his personal best with 30 points off the bench. He added 3 assists and 2 steals and shot a hyper-efficient 11-for-14 as he constantly broke down the Phoenix defense. Barroca proved a handful as well, finishing with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.
On the other side, Johnson fired a game-high 37 points on top of 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks in another stellar all-around showing. Rivero added 16 points off the Phoenix bench to go along with his 6 rebounds and 5 steals.
3 Keys to the Game
- Buffen and Lastimosa. Put simply, Phoenix had no answer to Buffen and Lastimosa. Buffen was brilliant all game long and got his way whenever he attacked. Lastimosa starred in the second quarter and completely took over in the fourth.
- Defense. Magnolia’s defense contained the usually prolific Phoenix offense. That defense was at its most unforgiving in the second and fourth quarters when the Hotshots held the Fuel Masters to under 20 both times.
- Interior scoring. The Hotshots exposed Phoenix’s lack of interior presence on defense, as Lastimosa, Buffen, and Ian Sangalang repeatedly got to the paint. In all, Magnolia fired 64 points in the shaded area compared to just 38 for the Fuel Masters.
Next Up for the PBA
Friday, August 14, 2026 | Smart Araneta Coliseum
NLEX Road Warriors vs. Converge FiberXers (5:15 p.m.)
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. Meralco Bolts (7:30 p.m.)
