Magnolia kept its championship aspirations flickering on Wednesday night, surviving a furious Meralco comeback to secure a 95-89 victory in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The Hotshots nearly squandered a dominant 19-point cushion but found their composure in the final seconds to neutralize the Bolts’ twice-to-beat advantage and force a sudden-death encounter.
The endgame turned into a high-stakes battle at the charity stripe. After Chris Newsome pulled Meralco within three at 91-88 with only 22.6 seconds remaining, Jerom Lastimosa missed two critical free throws that threatened to derail Magnolia.
However, the rookie redeemed himself by chasing down his own miss, drawing a duty foul from Newsome, and splitting the subsequent pair for a five-point lead.
Following a split from Meralco’s CJ Cansino, veteran guards Paul Lee iced the game with two calm conversions from the line, mirroring the resilience shown by TNT earlier in the day in their own upset of top-seeded NLEX.
The contest saw a dramatic swing late in the fourth when Newsome briefly gave the Bolts an 84-83 edge. Magnolia responded immediately through Lastimosa and import Clint Chapman, who buried a timely triple to regain the lead for good.
Clint Chapman anchored the Hotshots with a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Lastimosa provided a significant spark with 17 markers. Ian Sangalang was recognized as Player of the Game for his efficient interior presence, finishing with 10 points.
Despite the loss, Meralco retains a final lifeline. As the number four seed, the Bolts entered the series with a playoff bonus and will have one more opportunity to clinch a semifinal berth in the deciding game.