Paul Lee overcame a poor shooting night and drilled a dagger triple down the stretch as Magnolia slammed the door on Phoenix’s comeback attempt, 82-78, to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their 2023-’24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series at the Mall of Asia Arena on Friday, Jan. 26.

Misfiring all game long, the veteran point guard made it count when it mattered the most, knocking down a clutch trey against the shot clock to cap a telling 11-0 run in the final minute of the contest.

Lee, who was shooting 1-of-8 from the field before the booming triple, gave the Hotshots a five-point cushion, 81-76, after they squandered a 16-point advantage early in the first half.

He finished with six points to preserve the impressive performance from import Tyler Bey who led the way with 25 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. 

Jio Jalalon had 17 points, six rebounds and three assists while James Laput, who was a surprise addition to the starting five, played solid with seven points including the huge and-1 play that tied the count at 76-all before Bey scored the go-ahead basket with 1:23 left in the fourth.

The Hotshots actually went off to a hot start and took a 30-14 lead in the opening quarter before the Fuel Masters slowly but surely chopped down the lead until they got the first taste of the lead, 74-71, behind back-to-back hits from Jason Perkins.

Johnathan Williams III even stretched the lead to five before Magnolia unloaded the back-breaking run.

Williams paced the Fuel Masters with 27 points and 16 rebounds but were not enough as Phoenix’s fairytale run hits a bigger roadblock.