GINEBRA’S never-say-die mantra was in full display anew last Sunday night.
But Magnolia pulled off its own version of the fabled fightback, propped up by a rare outburst from the usually calm and composed Hotshots coach Chito Victolero.
“At halftime, I kept on reminding them (Magnolia players), actually shouting at them about how they (Kings) outworked us in the first half, outhustled us in the first half,” Victolero said. “I challenged these guys to play the Magnolia Hotshots basketball system, which is sacrificing, ball movement and our defensive mindset because they scored 60 points in the first half and that’s not our system.
“They responded very well to my challenge. I’m thankful for my players. I’m very proud of them,” he added.
Victolero gushed as his charges battled back from a 26-point first half deficit and essayed a gripping 93-91 decision over the Kings for their fourth straight win in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
In the new season’s latest chapter of the “Manila Clasico,” import Tyler Bey carried Magnolia on his shoulders with a game-high 31 points and 10 rebounds, on top of five steals, while energetic guard Jio Jalalon sparked a fiery third quarter comeback with 15 markers, five boards, and five assists.
Mark Barroca also had 13 points, three caroms, and three dimes as the Hotshots delivered anew after a 112-74 rout of the NorthPort Batang Pier four days back and remained unscathed with a 4-0 mark.
Ginebra, which came off a 110-86 dumping of Converge last Friday, absorbed its first loss of the import-spiced cage wars for a 1-1 record.
With Victolero taking his team to task, Magnolia responded in a big way.
“I never saw coach Chito like that, so for me, I felt it. I felt the energy, I felt the passion, I felt how bad he wanted it,” Bey said.
“We all wanted it. After that, it was just on us. We are the players on the court, he’s the coach, so we do what we have to do.”
Reinforcement Tony Bishop paced the Kings with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and three feeds, while Maverick Ahanmisi added 21 markers and 13 boards.
Christian Standhardinger, Scottie Thompson, and Japeth Aguilar also had 13, 12, and 12 points, respectively for Ginebra.
Meanwhile, the league suspended the referees who officiated the match marred by a controversial non-call on what looked like a Barroca foul on Thompson’s drive in the last 11.5 ticks.
“Unacceptable. There was contact. We failed to make a call. During the game–in real time while the play was on, the game crew did not see a foul. The officials failed to call a foul (missed call) on Barroca against Thompson in the last 11.5 seconds of the 4th quarter,” pro league Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro said in a statement yesterday.
“With this, the officiating crew of the game between Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots are suspended for failing to assess the infraction.”
The game officials who called the tiff Magnolia-Ginebra duel were crew chief Peter Balao, Mardy Montoya, Joel Baldago and Julius Medillo.
Television replays showed Barroca tagging Thompson in the arm while the latter was attacking hard for a layup.
Instead of sending Thompson to the charity stripe for a chance to win it for the Kings, the non-call led Standhardinger fouling Jalalon, who then sealed the hard-fought triumph with a free throw.
