Reporting note: this article draws on gmanetwork.com; LodiScore provides the summary and editorial framing.
Magnolia top seed sealed with a reshuffled rotation
Magnolia beat Rain or Shine 107-103 on Wednesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, closing the PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup group stage at 7-3. The Magnolia top seed in Group B was secured on a night the Hotshots rested their usual stars.
The result also snapped a six-game losing streak against Rain or Shine in their head-to-head matchups. Magnolia pulled away in the fourth quarter, then fended off a late Elasto Painters rally to protect the margin.
Javi Gomez de Liaño and Peter Alfaro carry the scoring
Javi Gomez de Liaño led Magnolia with 19 points, shooting 6-of-10 from beyond the three-point arc. Peter Alfaro added 17 markers on a perfect 2-of-2 clip from the four-point area.
Jerome Lastimosa contributed 16 points and rookie Yukien Andrada posted 11. Import KJ Buffen needed only 19 minutes to tally 16 points, six rebounds and three assists.
The final frame turned on the two former college teammates. Alfaro and Andrada combined for a 7-2 run that pushed the Hotshots out to a 91-83 lead.
Alfaro then sank a four-point shot off a Gab Gomez pass and buried another triple to make it 100-92 halfway through the quarter. He later found Gomez de Liaño alone for a three-pointer that restored a 107-100 cushion.
What the Group B top seed means for Magnolia
Finishing first in Group B at 7-3 puts Magnolia at the top of its group heading into the playoffs. The franchise also extended its streak of playoff appearances to 23.
The standings line reads more impressive given how it was produced. A rotation built around reserves and young players delivered a five-point win over a Rain or Shine side that had taken the previous six meetings between them.
The quarter scores show how little separation there was: 32-26 after one, 53-61 at halftime, 86-81 through three, and 107-103 at the final buzzer. Magnolia trailed at the break and led by five entering the fourth.
The report did not specify Magnolia's playoff opponent or the rest of the Group B bracket, so the practical value of the top seed will only become clear once the quarterfinal pairings are set.
Rain or Shine plays without Caelan Tiongson and Christian Manaytay
Rain or Shine was without Caelan Tiongson and Christian Manaytay. Adrian Nocum paced the Elasto Painters with 25 points and six rebounds, while Aaron Fuller added 18 points and six boards.
Behind them the scoring was spread thin across the roster: Lemetti 11, Cuajao 9, Clarito 8, Caracut 8, Malonzo 8 and Villegas 7. That balance kept Rain or Shine ahead at halftime before Magnolia's bench pulled the game away.
LA Tenorio credits practice habits for the depth
"That's what I'm saying to them, it doesn't matter who's on the floor because everyday in practice, they practice the same way. Zav (Lucero) or the usual starting five do not do anything different compared to my second five," Magnolia head coach LA Tenorio said.
Tenorio added that "everybody knows the system" and that he "wouldn't be surprised if they deliver whenever they're on the floor."
His explanation points to something structural rather than a one-off hot night. Magnolia's staff drills the same system with the starters and the second unit, which is why a rested lineup could still close out a close game on the road.
The original report was published by gmanetwork.com.
