Magnolia and Phoenix collide once again in a familiar PBA playoff setting, but fresh on a stage that is the semifinals
The 2020 PBA bubble in Clark marked a special time for Phoenix.
For one, it was arguably the best run the Fuel Masters have had in their franchise history, reaching all the way to a do-or-die Game 5 of the Philippine Cup semifinals.
For two, it’s also the last time Phoenix beat Magnolia, in the playoffs no less.
The 2020 PBA bubble in Clark also marked a significant time for the Hotshots because you can argue that’s when they “took it personal.”
In the eight Magnolia-Phoenix games that came after that original PBA bubble, the Hotshots won all eight.
And they were not just winning too, Magnolia beat Phoenix in all eight games by an average margin of 16.1 points per game, per chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III.
Fast forward to Season 48 bridging 2023 and 2024 and it’s a significant and special time again for Magnolia and Phoenix respectively.
After years of disappointment, Magnolia looks like a team that figured something out. Including the PBA on Tour that kickstarted the new season, the Hotshots have only lost two games.
They’ve played 23. The no. 1 Hotshots are primed for a significant playoff run.
Meanwhile, Phoenix is back in the PBA semifinals for its best run in the league since the aforementioned bubble. The time is now for the Fuel Masters to do something special.
Both teams collide once again in a familiar PBA playoff setting, but fresh on a stage that is the semifinals.
A fresh pairing late in a PBA conference, that ought to be fun with a chance for some things to end up being special, and significant.
Magnolia vs. Phoenix in the Commissioner’s Cup semis start today.