Halftime talk sparks Magnolia’s 14-point rout of Phoenix

Thanks to a much-needed pep talk at halftime, the Magnolia Hotshots turn a 10-point halftime deficit into a convincing 14-point win over the Phoenix Fuel Masters in the PBA Philippine Cup

MANILA, Philippines – For a team who takes a lot of pride in playing defense, giving up close to 40 points in one quarter is simply not acceptable.

And after Magnolia allowed Phoenix to score 39 points in the second quarter of their PBA Philippine Cup showdown at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Sunday, April 14, Hotshots head coach Chito Victolero gave his wards a much-needed pep talk at halftime, which ultimately sparked their 107-93 rout of the Fuel Masters. 

“We had a serious talk at halftime. We allowed Phoenix to score 39 points in the second quarter and that’s not us,” said Victolero.

“I think that’s the worst defensive quarter for us. I don’t remember the last time we gave up that many points in a quarter,” he added in a mix of English and Filipino. 

“We did a good job in the first quarter, but in the second quarter we all chilled. We talked about it at halftime, even with our boss Alfrancis Chua.”

Coming off a 104-97 win versus the NorthPort Batang Pier in their previous outing, the Hotshots got off to a good start against the Fuel Masters as they quickly built a double-digit lead at the end of the first quarter, 28-18.

However, Magnolia failed to keep its foot on the gas pedal, letting Phoenix go on a massive 39-19 rally in the second period for a 57-47 cushion at the break.

Luckily for the Hotshots, they managed to regain their bearings after their halftime discussion as they outscored the Fuel Masters, 32-20, in the third canto, before pulling away for good with a fiery 19-3 blast in the opening minutes of the final frame.

Despite playing with a right hand injury, Mark Barroca delivered the goods for Magnolia as he tied his career-high 27 points on an efficient 11-of-19 shooting.

Ian Sangalang had a near double-double of 23 points and 9 rebounds, while Jio Jalalon posted 13 markers and 7 boards. 

RJ Jazul paced Phoenix in the loss with 21 points built on five treys, while Kenneth Tuffin and Jason Perkins added 17 and 16 markers, respectively.

Magnolia moved up to a 3-2 slate, while Phoenix fell to 2-5. 

The Scores

Magnolia 107 – Barroca 27, Sangalang 23, Jalalon 13, Eriobu 11, Tratter 8, Dionisio 7, Lee 7, Abueva 6, Balanza 2, Mendoza 2, Reavis 1, Escoto 0, Laput 0.

Phoenix 93 – Jazul 21, Tuffin 17, Perkins 16, Mocon 11, Salado 8, Verano 8, Alejandro 6, Rivero 6, Muyang 0, Camacho 0, Daves 0, Lalata 0.

Quarters: 28-18, 47-57, 79-77, 107-93.

– Rappler.com