Magnolia aims to recover quickly and join previous tormentor San Miguel, NLEX and Rain or Shine at the second spot in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup.
Zavier Lucero and Magnolia aim to return to the win column when they battle Blackwater in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup Friday, Nov. 14.
The match starts at 5:15 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
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Magnolia, among the early frontrunners but has since slipped to 4–2 at joint fifth with Converge, is looking to shake off a painful 92–94 loss to defending champion San Miguel.
The Hotshots clawed back from an 18-point hole and nearly stole the game in the closing seconds. Paul Lee and Jerom Lastimosa both had looks from deep to complete the comeback, but the shots did not drop.
Lucero is expected to lead the way anew, together with Jerom Lastimosa and rookie Chris Koon.
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Against the Beermen, Lucero produced 20 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and four blocks. Backing him up were Lastimosa (17 points, five boards, six assists and two steals) and rookie Chris Koon (16 points).
The Bossing, meanwhile, look to check a five-game skid, with their latest loss coming at the hands of Converge, 94–99.
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor’s note: This article was written by a member of One Sports Digital with the help of AI and reviewed by editorial staff for accuracy.]