Magnolia pulled away in the second half and cruised to a dominant 119-103 victory over NLEX to extend its winning run to three in the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Thursday, Feb. 16.

Jio Jalalon and import Antonio Hester starred in the blistering 16-3 run bridging the third and fourth quarters that created a double-digit advantage which the Hotshots never relinquished until the final buzzer to even their slate at 3-3.
The Magnolia spitfire guard came a rebound shy of a triple-double, finishing with 17 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds while Hester continued to dominate the paint with a double-double of 37 points and 15 rebounds.
The two also had plenty of support with four other players reaching the double-digit mark led by Paul Lee who scattered 18 points on four triples while Aris Dionisio and Mark Barroca were solid off the bench with 13 apiece. Calvin Abueva also had his share in the win after churning out 10 points and eight rebounds.
“It’s all about the adjustment in the second half. We did a good job on adjusting our defense sabi ko lang sa kanila, we need to get our pace kasi yung first half pace ng NLEX. We need to get our pace and yun buti naman yung mga bata kahit paano, nakuha nila yung rhythm namin nung second half,” said Hotshots head coach Chito Victolero.
The Hotshots actually trailed in the early goings of the third frame with the Road Warriors building a 66-55 lead halfway through the period. Jalalon, Hester and Dionisio then connived in a blistering 18-5 rally that erased the deficit and allowed Magnolia to take two point lead, 73-71.
From there, the Hotshots just kept the ball rolling as they embarked on the telling run that eventually established the largest lead in the contest at 21, 108-87.
Wayne Selden Jr. finished with 25 points to pace the Road Warriors but was obviously bothered by the Magnolia defense all game long. Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser contributed an all-around game of 20 points, seven rebounds and three blocks while Kris Rosales added 19 - all of which went down the drain as NLEX absorbed its second loss after a 4-0 start.