Magnolia vs. San Miguel in the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals is set!
Hurt and all, Mark Barroca showed out as the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots ousted the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters by way of an 89-79 win in Game 4 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals on Wednesday.
The victory allowed Magnoliato set up a gigantic Finals clash against idle San Miguel, a first between the two proud teams since the 2019 Philippine Cup.
Playing through some pain on his right hamstring, Barroca set the tone for the Hotshots by dropping 12 of his 21 points in the opening period.
Tyler Bey also put up a 20-20 outing to go with four assists, two steals, and a block. Ian Sangalang added 12 points, none bigger than the bank shot that gave the team a comfortable 85-74 lead down the stretch.
Like they had done all-series long, the Fuel Masters tried to roar back from a double-digit deficit but just ran out of gas.
After being down by 21 points in the fourth period, Phoenix trimmed the gap to 10 on Sean Manganti’s back-to-back booming treys, 78-68 with 5:31 remaining.
The Hotshots remained composed. Lee drove to the right, drew a couple of defenders out, then dumped it to Bey for an emphatic two-handed flush.
Barroca followed it up with a triple from way out, 83-68, before the Fuel Masters, who employed a full-court press, propelled a six-to-nothing run to close in, 83-74, to mark their final push.
Before the nip-and-tuck fourth period, Fuel Masters first made it a ball game after coming to within two, 53-51 on RJ Jazul’s floater.
But the Hotshots responded big time.
Bey scored on a three-point play in the ensuing possession to spark a furious 17-2 surge and walk into the final frame with a commanding 70-53 advantage.
Johnathan Williams paced Phoenix with 17 points and the same number of rebounds. He also had five assists, two steals, and three blocks in a losing effort. RR Garcia was a spark off the bench, contributing 15 points.