Magnolia has officially gone from stumbling to terrifying.
The Hotshots ripped apart Meralco, 105-88, Friday night and suddenly look like a team nobody wants to see with the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup playoffs closing in.
Not even a leaking roof, pounding rain and a nearly 40-minute delay could stop Magnolia’s rampage.
In fact, the interruption may have made the Hotshots even deadlier.
After barely clinging to a 71-70 lead at the end of the third quarter, Magnolia came out of the long break breathing fire, detonating a brutal 19-4 run to bury Meralco and turn a nail-biter into a fourth-quarter massacre.
By the time the smoke cleared, the Bolts were staring at another painful defeat — their fourth straight — while Magnolia celebrated its second consecutive statement win.
And this one came right after the Hotshots embarrassed Barangay Ginebra, 88-73, in the Manila Clasico.
From 1-3 and seemingly going nowhere, Magnolia is now 3-3 and suddenly sitting inside the Group B Magic Four.
That is one serious plot twist.
RAIN DELAY? MAGNOLIA DIDN’T CARE
The bizarre drama started just before the fourth quarter when heavy rains exposed a leak in the Ninoy Aquino Stadium roof.
Water spilled onto part of the court, forcing play to stop for almost 40 minutes.
Bad timing?
Absolutely.
Magnolia had just closed the third quarter with an 8-0 explosion to steal the lead.
Coach LA Tenorio admitted he feared the interruption would kill his team’s momentum.
It did the exact opposite.
“I reminded them whoever comes out of this long break na aggressive, whoever gets momentum through defensive stops, may malaking chance na makuha ang laro,” Tenorio said.
The Hotshots clearly got the message.
When play resumed, Magnolia pounced.
Hard.
The Hotshots opened the fourth with a 19-4 demolition job, pushing the lead to 90-75 and leaving Meralco scrambling for answers that never came.
BUFFEN GOES BOOM
KJ Buffen once again played like Magnolia’s wrecking ball, dropping 27 points to lead the charge.
Jerom Lastimosa added 17, while Ian Sangalang bullied his way to 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Lastimosa and Sangalang combined for 17 points in the final quarter alone as Magnolia poured in 34 points in the period.
The Hotshots simply overwhelmed Meralco when the game was there for the taking.
“Sobrang tagal talaga ng delay, parang natuyo na kami,” Sangalang said.
“Pinag-usapan namin na kailangang buhayin namin sarili namin going to the fourth. Pinush talaga namin sarili namin kasi gusto naming manalo talaga.”
And it showed.
Magnolia did not just win.
It stepped on the gas and never looked back.
BOLTS IN FREE FALL
While Magnolia is suddenly surging, Meralco is sinking fast.
Antonio Hester tried to keep the Bolts alive with 24 points, while Jason Brickman returned from a two-game flu absence and immediately drilled five three-pointers on his way to 19 points.
Chris Newsome scored 17 and Jolo Mendoza Cansino had 15.
Still, it wasn’t enough.
Once Magnolia launched its fourth-quarter attack, Meralco’s resistance collapsed.
The Bolts fell to 2-5, their postseason hopes now hanging by a thread after four consecutive losses.
Magnolia, meanwhile, has transformed from early-conference disappointment into one of Group B’s hottest teams.
First Ginebra.
Now Meralco.
Two straight victims.
And if the Hotshots keep playing like this, the rest of the group may want to start looking over their shoulders.
Because Magnolia isn’t just back.
The Hotshots are hunting.
SCORES
MAGNOLIA 105 — Buffen 27, Lastimosa 17, Sangalang 16, Lucero 10, Andrada 8, Lee 7, Dela Rosa 7, Barroca 7, Alfaro 4, Jopia 2, Koon 0.
MERALCO 88 — Hester 24, Brickman 19, Newsome 17, Cansino 15, Black 6, Quinto 3, Hodge 2, Banchero 2, Bates 0, Mocon 0, Rios 0.
Quarters: 22-29, 47-48, 71-70, 105-88.