MAGNOLIA got the victory it needed to start the year right, and probably the perfect workout for a much tougher battle ahead.
The Hotshots totaled in the second half what KIA Picanto managed for the whole game and went on to post a 124-77 rout yesterday at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao as Magnolia stayed in the upper half of the PBA Philippine Cup standings.
After going into the halftime break trailing, 47-49, the Hotshots turned up the heat on both ends and held the Picanto to 11 third quarter points to break away and seal a second win in three games that kept idle sister team leaders San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra in sight.
Coming out for the second half with all guns cocked and firing offensively and with their defense clamping down hard on KIA’s main men, the Hotshots dealt the Picanto another humiliating defeat, which tied the franchise’s worst setback.
Interestingly, the mark that Magnolia tied happened in Sept. 22 last year, a 128-81 ripping when the Hotshots were then known as Star.
“This is the start of our year and I told my players (at halftime) that we needed to start this right,” coach Chito Victolero said as he expressed joy at how his wards responded to his call and played their hearts out in the final two periods.
“I told them that we need to have that desire and that we need to always give our best effort in every possession,” he said as the Magnolia defense allowed just 28 second half points.
Paul Lee, meanwhile, was at the firing end of the humongous Magnolia explosion in the third, shooting all of his 13 points there before the Hotshots dropped a total of 43 in the fourth to make it an ugly coaching debut for KIA’s Ricky Dandan.
Justin Melton scored 10 points and rookie Robert Herndon nine in the fourth, as the duo outscored the entire KIA team in the quarter.
“We have a big game next, and we start preparing for NLEX (right away),” Victolero said, knowing that he will be facing a far stronger team on Sunday. “It will be a big game for us and for them as well.”