The Magnolia Hotshots gifted new coach LA Tenorio with a winning debut after handling Barangay Ginebra San Miguel with relative ease, 80-73, in the opening game of PBA Season 50 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
What Happened?
Magnolia started off red-hot, racing out to a 17-3 lead in the opening quarter to take a 24-13 advantage going to the second canto. Ginebra cut the lead down to two midway with six minutes left in the first half, but the Hotshots managed to take a 36-30 lead to intermission. The Pambansang Manok waxed hot again to start the second half and established another double-digit lead that they never relinquished—time and again fending off Ginebra uprisings.
Who Stood Out?
Magnolia’s Jerom Lastimosa, Javi Gomez de Liaño, and Zavier Lucero got the start and played splendidly, with Lucero dropping a team-high 17 points followed by 14 apiece from Lastimosa and de Liaño.
Lucero was particularly impressive, doing it on both ends in a display of all-around brilliance. Lastimosa, getting the start over veteran Mark Barroca, proved he can handle starting point guard duties as he was masterful orchestrating the Hotshots’ flowing offense. De Liaño, meanwhile, was good as advertised, knocking down open shots from downtown to frustrate Ginebra’s defense.
On the other hand, Stephen Holt carried much of the fight for Ginebra with a monster 16-point, 16-rebound double-double that went for naught. Silver linings, so to speak, for the Barangay were Jeremiah Gray and rookie Sonny Estil, who each had moments of brilliance.
3 Keys to the Game
- Magnolia’s hot start. An early 10-0 blast by the Hotshots put Ginebra on their heels real quick, and the Barangay couldn’t seem to find their footing the rest of the way.
- Magnolia’s ball movement. Ginebra seemed a step slow on opening night, and the Hotshots took full advantage, whipping the ball from side to side until they found cracks in that defense.
- Scottie Thompson, neutralized. ST9 was unusually passive on opening night, but credit to the Hotshots, too, for always keeping a body on The Hustle Man, who couldn’t do anything impactful.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA goes to Ynares Center in Antipolo on Wednesday, October 8, with this doubleheader:
Meralco Bolts vs. Titan Ultra Risers | San Miguel Beermen vs. NLEX Road Warriors
