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Manila Bulletin devider devider PBA: Magnolia earns right to face SMB

PBA: Magnolia earns right to face SMB

Published Mar 20, 2018 04:00 pm
Magnolia celebrates the shot of teammate Mark Barroca during game 6 of the PBA Philippine Cup Semifinals against NLEX at Smart Araneta Coliseum, March 20, 2018 (MB photo | Rio Leonelle Deluvio) Magnolia celebrates the shot of teammate Mark Barroca during game 6 of the PBA Philippine Cup Semifinals against NLEX at Smart Araneta Coliseum, March 20, 2018 (MB photo | Rio Leonelle Deluvio) By Jonas Terrado Game Friday (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 7 p.m. – San Miguel vs Magnolia The Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok ended their four-year search for a finals berth last night after holding off the NLEX Road Warriors, 96-89, to arrange a titular showdown with the defending champion San Miguel Beermen for the PBA Philippine Cup title at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Mark Barroca intercepted Kiefer Ravena’s overhead pass before converting a three-point play off Larry Fonacier with 1:32 remaining to make it 94-89, becoming the decisive moment that allowed the Hotshots to clinch a 4-2 victory in their series and end a string of bitter defeats marred by semifinal exits in all three conferences last season. It will be the Hotshots’ first appearance in a title series since the 2014 Governors’ Cup when the then-San Mig Super Coffee Mixers completed the PBA’s fifth Grand Slam under coach Tim Cone. This time, the franchise, which incidentally won on the 30th anniversary of its very first PBA game, will be handled by coach Chito Victolero, who finally made it to a finals series after stints as an NCAA coach for Mapua and as lead assistant of Manny Pacquiao at Kia. Victolero is hopeful that his defense-oriented system can translate into the team’s 14th crown against a San Miguel team favored to capture a fourth straight title in the PBA’s oldest and most prestigious tournament. San Miguel and Magnolia begin their title series on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. “I’m always trying to convince my players na our defense will win games and we’ll go to the finals, yun lang ang lagi kong sinasabi sa kanila,” said Victolero. “Nag-commit naman sila. Now yun lang ang magiging baon namin pagdating sa finals.” It will be the eighth time that San Miguel and Magnolia will meet in the finals, and fifth in the conference formerly known as the All-Filipino Cup. Their last meeting came in the 2013 Governors’ Cup when Magnolia carried the San Mig Super Coffee brand in beating Petron in seven games.
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