LA Tenorio
Magnolia’s chase for a PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinal berth is no longer just about securing a place in the top eight. For head coach LA Tenorio, the remaining elimination games are a proving ground — a candid assessment of how far his team has come and how far he has grown in his first conference at the helm.
“We’ll have the opportunity to see where we are as a team and where I am as a coach. Malalaman natin iyan in our upcoming games,” Tenorio said Thursday, acknowledging that the real test has only just begun.
Magnolia, currently tied at 5-2, clashes with Converge on Friday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. A win not only breaks the deadlock but also brings the Hotshots closer to a more ambitious target: finishing in the top four to secure a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
For Tenorio, the formula is simple — beat Converge and then take care of business against fellow contenders NLEX, Rain or Shine, and TNT. Pull it off, and Magnolia locks in a premium spot heading into the playoffs. But the margin for error is razor thin.
“Lahat ng kalaban namin nasa ibabaw namin. Isang talo, number seven kami,” he warned, underscoring how unforgiving the standings have become as the elimination round winds down.
This urgency has shaped Magnolia’s mindset. Tenorio, appointed only last July, continues to drill into his roster the weight carried by every remaining game. “Nari-realize naman nila, alam naman nila kung gaano ka-importante itong stretch na ito,” he said.
Most of his players, he added, already know what it takes to navigate high-pressure situations. What’s new is the playbook — the system, the approach, the pace — all now tied to Tenorio’s vision. “Iilan lang naman talaga ang mga bago sa amin. Marurunong na mga iyan. Pagkakaiba lang talaga ngayon, bagong sistema, bagong mukha, bagong tao, bagong takbo,” he explained.
Even then, Tenorio remains level-headed. While a top-four finish is ideal, he concedes that landing in the lower half of the bracket doesn’t necessarily make their path less promising. “Maganda top 4, pero kung iisipin natin hindi ka rin sigurado sa magiging bottom four,” he noted.
With every game carrying postseason weight, Magnolia’s closing stretch is expected to reveal more than just standings — it will show, plainly and unmistakably, what kind of team LA Tenorio is shaping and what kind of coach he is becoming.