The Magnolia Hotshots have a chance to make it to the finals the next time they meet the Meralco Bolts on Thursday.
Hotshots’ coach Chito Victolero knows this will be a difficult encounter after they came up with an 81-69 beating of the Meralco last Sunday at the DHSVU Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.
“It’s hard to close out the series because their effort and aggressiveness are high,” said Victolero, expecting a tough stand from the Bolts in Game 5 now that the Hotshots have a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup semifinals.
Victolero said their two days of rest before they fight it out with the Bolts will give the team a chance to figure out their next moves.
In Game 4, Ian Sangalang, Calvin Abueva and Marc Barroca led the Hotshots with 17 points apiece.
And with Sangalang coming up with a near double-double average of 16.0 points and 9.3 rebounds in three games, he was able to earn the Cignal Play-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week honors.
During Sunday’s game, it was Sangalang’s inside game in the second period which saw the Hotshots moving away, 38-26, with 5:04 left.
Abueva’s two charities in the 7:51 of the third allowed the Hotshots to keep their distance by 16, 56-40.
Barroca knocked in six points in the final period, with his two freebies in the final 20 seconds giving the Hotshots a 12-point edge in the remaining time.
Reynel Hugnatan made 21 points for Meralco, which turned the ball over 22 times, yielding 26 points for Magnolia.