Paul Lee caught fire in the second and third quarters, propelling the Magnolia Timplados Hotshots to a masterfuk 129-100 victory over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in Game 4 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup quarterfinals at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Tuesday night.
Lee’s stellar performance tied the best-of-five series at 2-2, setting up a do-or-die Game 5 for a semifinal spot on Friday. Lee finished with 25 points, scoring eight in the second quarter and 15 in the third, making him the team’s second-highest scorer behind Jabbari Bird’s 30 points.
Magnolia broke open the game in the second period, thanks to a 21-6 run sparked by three-pointers from Lee and Jerrick Ahanmisi. This surge shattered a 26-all first-quarter deadlock and pushed the Hotshots ahead by 15 points, 47-32, with just over six minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Lee’s 15-point explosion in the third quarter helped Magnolia extend their lead to 20 points, ending the period with a 99-79 advantage.
“I’m thankful for the players because of their mindset and focus. Nandun sa board before the start of the game that it’s all about leading,” said Hotshots coach Chito Victolero, praising his team’s discipline and determination.
The dominant win allowed the Hotshots to bounce back from their heartbreaking 106-111 overtime loss to Rain or Shine in Game 3, setting the stage for an intense winner-takes-all Game 5.
