Magnolia kept its playoff hopes alive with a 110-104 victory over Phoenix Super LPG in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig on Thursday night.
After a 50-50 deadlock at halftime, the Hotshots outscored the Fuel Masters 33-26 in the third quarter to seize control of the game and secure the win.
The victory improved Magnolia’s record to 4-6, lifting them to ninth place in the standings.
Ricardo Ratliffe was instrumental in the Hotshots’ third-quarter surge, finishing with 22 points and 19 rebounds.
His performance, along with contributions from Zavier Lucero (25 points), Mark Barroca (22 points), and Pedro Alfaro (14 points), helped Magnolia fend off a late rally from Phoenix.
The Fuel Masters were led by Donovan Smith, who scored 40 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Hotshots.
Phoenix dropped to a 3-6 record, tying them with NLEX Road Warriors in a fight for a playoff spot. Magnolia, Phoenix, and NLEX are still alive in the playoff race, while San Miguel Beer holds the inside track at 4-4.
With the win, Magnolia kept its slim playoff chances intact, but the Hotshots still face a challenging road ahead. They will need to win their final two games against Eastern and Meralco to secure a postseason berth.
Meanwhile, the Fuel Masters, coming off two consecutive wins over Terrafirma and Rain or Shine, will need to regroup quickly as they face NLEX in a critical matchup on Sunday at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.
Phoenix will close out their elimination round schedule with games against Blackwater and TNT.
The top teams in the league—TNT (5-2), NorthPort (7-3), Converge (7-3), Eastern (6-3), Barangay Ginebra (6-3), Meralco (6-3), and Rain or Shine (6-3)— are bunched in a mad race for the next round.
The scores:
Magnolia 110 – Lucero 25, Ratliffe 22, Barroca 22, Alfaro 14, Abueva 6, Lastimosa 6, Dionisio 5, Eriobu 5, Sangalang 4, Dela Rosa 1, Balanza 0, Mendoza 0, Reavis 0.
Phoenix 104 – Smith 40, Jazul 15, Perkins 15, Ballungay 13, Rivero 6, Tio 5, Manganti 4, Muyang 2, Tuffin 2, Verano 2, Garcia 0, Alejandro 0, Camacho 0, Daves 0, Salado 0, Ular 0.
Quarterscores: 29-34, 50-50, 83-76, 110-104