Calvin Abueva posts 26 and 10 as Magnolia outlasts Phoenix down stretch

Calvin Abueva had a strong showing in his first game for the Magnolia Pambansang Manok Hotshots as they fought hard down to stretch to beat the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 80-73, on Saturday at the Ynares Arena in Pasig.

Abueva posted 26 points and 10 rebounds in his Magnolia debut. He shot 8-for-14 (57%) from the field and 9-for-15 (60%) from the free throw line after drawing 11 fouls on the opposition.

Paul Lee also had a strong outing in the game, finishing with 21 points with 19 of those coming in the second half after a slow start to the game.

Magnolia held a slight lead, 25-23, after a low-scoring first half that saw both teams struggle to get going on offense. Both teams barely broke double digits in the first quarter, 11-11, and did only slightly better in the second period, which the Hotshots won, 14-12.

It became a different story, though, in the third period where Abueva and Lee combined to score 19 of the Hotshots’ 30 points while the Fuel Masters put up 28 on the other end.

Lee carried the offensive load early in the fourth, scoring seven points in the first six minutes of the period.

Magnolia took a six-point lead, 74-68, with 2:42 remaining in the fourth quarter before a Vic Manuel basket and a Matthew Wright three-point play made it a one-point contest, 74-73, with 2:12 left on the clock.

Both teams failed to score on their next possessions before Lee was sent to the free throw line to knock down two free throws, 76-73, inside the final minute.

Justin Chua had the chance to tie it with a three-point attempt with 39 seconds left, but missed. Phoenix was able to get an offensive rebounds and tried to get another look after a timeout, but could not get a shot up against the Hotshots’ defense.

Mark Barroca, Abueva, and Lee all hit free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

Wright led Phoenix 20 points while Manuel added 16 markers and 10 rebounds for the Fuel Masters.

—JMB, GMA News