They continue their dominant run.
The Magnolia Hotshots remain unscathed in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup after handing the NorthPort Batang Pier a 112-74 beatdown on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Right from the get-go, the Hotshots had total control of the game, erecting a 28-8 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
From then on, they continued to pour on both ends en route to grabbing their third straight win in the conference.
Five Magnolia players scored in double digits in the dominating win, with import Tyler Bey leading the way with 23 points, along with eight rebounds and six assists.
Mark Barroca and Paul Lee added 17 and 16 points, respectively, while Jio Jalalon and Ian Sanggalang added 11 markers apiece.
Coach Chito Victolero was more than pleased with the effort displayed by his squad in the 38-point rout.
“I'm very proud, we're so focused. We have that mindset na we need to play for 48 minutes against these teams because we know that this is a very hard game for us,” Victolero said during the postgame press conference.
Barroca, meanwhile, shared a key character that the Hotshots have been building on to separate themselves from other teams.
“Nagbu-build kami ng killer instinct nga sabi ni coach (Chito) kasi every time na up kami nung preseason, nung tuneup games namin, nagre-relax kami, especially sa third quarter,” said Barroca. “Every time na lalamang kami, kailangan pukpok pa rin, (may) consistency, kasi 'yun 'yung magiging edge namin sa ibang team.”
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The win should serve as a huge confidence booster for the Hotshots ahead of their Manila Clasico showdown against the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Sunday at the Big Dome.
NorthPort, meanwhile, will look to bounce back on Wednesday against the NLEX Road Warriors.
(PM)