Magnolia knocks out Meralco, punches ticket to PBA Finals

The Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok bucked a slow start to send Meralco packing in Game 6 of their semifinal series, 93-85, and advance to the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup championship round on Friday in Bacolor, Pampanga.

The Hotshots will now gain some much-needed rest while they await the winner between the San Miguel Beermen and TNT Tropang Giga, who are set for a do-or-die Game 7 on Sunday, October 17.

The win also completed Magnolia’s upset of Meralco, who finished the elimination round as the second seed owing to a 9-2 win-loss card.

The Hotshots clawed back from 11-points down to end the first half holding the upper hand, 44-40. During the first two frames, Magnolia shot only 28 percent from the field but was able to pick up the lead after shooting 18 free throws in the first half alone.

Magnolia continued its hot shooting in the third, draining four triples, two of which came from Justin Melton, to keep hold of their precarious lead heading into the fourth, 72-68.

Cliff Hodge brought Meralco to within five, 80-85, with three minutes left in the game but the Bolts’ hopes for resurgence dimmed after two of their top scorers, Nards Pinto and Allein Maliksi, were sent to the bench.

Pinto had cramps late in the third while Maliksi fouled out in the latter part of the fourth.

Ian Sangalang led the offensive charge for Magnolia, finishing with a double-double of 19 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists.

Mark Barroca and Rome Dela Rosa, meanwhile, each had 16 points.

"It's really hard to close out a series, especially this one. We went into this game and just did everything that we needed to close out," said Sangalang, whose team is making a finals return since their runner-up finish in the 2019 Philippine Cup.

"But working our best does not mean that we will win because the other team also wanted it badly. But when we overcame what we did in the first half, I knew we could win."

The scores:

Magnolia 93 - Sangalang 19, Barroca 16, Dela Rosa 16, Abueva 11, Jalalon 11, Melton 6, Reavis 6, Corpuz 4, Lee 4, Ahanmisi 0, Dionisio 0.

Meralco 85 - Almazan 16, Newsome 14, Maliksi 13, Pinto 10, Hodge 9, Caram 7, Quinto 7, Hugnatan 6, Belo 3, Black 0, Pasaol 0, Jamito 0.

Quarterscores: 20-27, 44-40, 72-68, 93-85.

—JMB, GMA News