Magnolia didn’t let the brouhaha involving Calvin Abueva hamper the Hotshots as they geared up for Game Three of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
The result was a resounding 88-80 win over San Miguel on Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Last Sunday, Abueva got embroiled in a shouting match against Mo Tautuaa’s wife, Aida, and publicly made a mocking gesture towards Beermen mentor Jorge Gallent resulting in a P100,000 fine.
[RELATED STORY: WIllie Marcial issues stern warning to Calvin Abueva after Game 2 antics]
Coach Chito Victolero said that the Hotshots tried hard not to let these off-court issues get to them as they aimed to chalk up a much-needed win in the best-of-seven series.
“Sa totoo lang, hindi namin 'yun napag-usapan sa practice. Walang ganoon. We were very busy preparing for this game,” said Victolero after the Game Three win.
“Tinanggal namin 'yang distractions. We just tried to focus on the preparation and the players did a very, very good job on the mental aspect of our preparation.”
That, and the two-day respite bridging Games Two and Three, did wonders for the Hotshots.
Magnolia displayed its vaunted defense to contain the red-hot Beermen, who went uncharacteristically 7-for-36 from the three-point area.
The Hotshots will try to sustain this as they look to even the series in Game Four on Friday at the same venue.
Kickoff is at 7:35 p.m. following the brief awarding of the best player of the conference and top import. This will air live on RPTV, A2Z, PBA Rush, and the Pilipinas Live app.