Magnolia pulled away in the payoff period and took down Converge, 83-71, to go 2-0 in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup on the league’s 50th anniversary celebration Wednesday, April 9 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The Hotshots rode on a pivotal 11-4 blitz in the fourth quarter to create the much-needed separation, establishing a double-digit advantage that they never relinquished until the final buzzer.

The twin towers of Magnolia led the way with Ian Sangalang muscling his way inside the paint for 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while frontcourt partner Zav Lucero also had 18 points to go with his five rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

Russel Escoto was also a surprise contributor, firing 11 points while Rome Dela Rosa also had nine points – including the booming triple that put the game to rest, 81-69, with 54 seconds left.

Magnolia was only holding on to a slim 67-62 advantage early in the payoff period before the team clamped down on the defensive end to fuel the massive run.

When the dust settled, the Hotshots had built a double-digit spread, 78-66 and then just fended off any effort to fight back from the FiberXers.

Justin Arana and Schonny Winston paced Converge with 14 apiece while Justine Baltazar and Kevin Racal chipped in 11. Alec Stockton, however, was the one missing in action as he only scored eight for the FiberXers who are now 1-2 in the standings.