Magnolia clamps down on NLEX, stays spotless through five games
At A Glance
- The signature relentless defense showed up for Magnolia in the second half to blow past NLEX, 99-72, to keep its record pristine in the 2023 PBA Commissioner's Cup at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City on Friday, Dec. 1.
The signature relentless defense showed up for Magnolia in the second half to blow past NLEX, 99-72, to keep its record pristine in the 2023 PBA Commissioner's Cup at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City on Friday, Dec. 1.

The Hotshots tightened up their defensive screws in the third frame and fueled a 15-0 outburst behind import Tyler Bey, Jio Jalalon and Mark Barroca to establish a double-digit advantage.
Magnolia never looked back from there, even padding the lead to as many as 29 points in the final frame.
Bey led the assault with 23 points, six rebounds, a steal, and three blocks while Barroca finished with 19 points, five rebounds, and nine assists.
Jalalon put up another all-around effort of 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as the Hotshots remained spotless through five games for the top spot.
The game looked to be in its way to a grind-out affair with the Road Warriors, powered by the return of Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and new import Stokley Chaffey Jr., held a seven-point lead before settling for 44-42 count at the break.
NLEX, however, struggled against Magnolia's suffocating defense, allowing the league-pacing Hotshots to establish a 68-56 lead.
Chaffee Jr. had a pretty solid debut with 23 points and 19 rebounds although he was still adjusting to coach Frankie Lim's system which was evident on his eight turnovers.
Kris Rosales was the only other double-digit scorer with 15 points for the Road Warriors who slid to a 2-3 slate after the loss.