League-leader Magnolia escapes Blackwater for 5th straight win

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Magnolia made it five in a row after escaping a late Blackwater rally, 78-72, Friday in the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup at Mall of Asia Arena.

Ian Sangalang drilled the go-ahead 15-footer with 55.1 seconds left give the Hotshots a  74-72 lead  and stopping the bleeding for his side after Mac Belo commandeered a 14-2 run to knot the score at 72.

Belo, however, committed a backcourt violation in the ensuing which gave Magnolia another chance to seal the game.

Blackwater still got another shot after Mike DiGregorio secured a huge stop in the final 20 seconds, but Nard Pinto could not convert on his potential game-tying layup.

Jio Jalalon and Justin Melton iced the game at the free throw stripe in the waning seconds.

“It was a very tough game,” said Chito Victolero as his side improved to 6-1. “I was worried about us being complacent so I tried to motivate my players to go hard and match the intensity of Blackwater. Although we had some lapses in the end, because of our experience and chemistry, we’re happy to pull this win off.”

Mark Barroca paced the league-leading Hotshots with 14 points, three rebounds, and three assists off the bench, while Aldrech Ramos also got 14 markers on a 2-of-5 shooting from three, to go with five boards.

Sangalang and Melton both finished with eight points in the game for Magnolia.

Belo had a career-high-tying 25 points, six rebounds, and six steals in the loss, while Allein Maliksi got 17 markers and four boards in his first game against his former team.

Blackwater remained winless for the year 2018, dropping its fourth straight loss to fall to 2-5.

The Scores:

MAGNOLIA 78 — Barroca 14, Ramos 14, Melton 8, Sangalang 8, Pascual 7, Dela Rosa 6, Jalalon 6, Simon 6, Pingris 4, Herndon 3, Reavis 2, Brondial 0, Gamalinda 0.

BLACKWATER 72 — Belo 25, Maliksi 17, Cortez 8, Erram 6, Jose 4, Pinto 3, DiGregorio 2, Marcelo 2, Sena 2, Sumang 2, Palma 1, Cruz 0, Javier 0.

Quarters: 23-13, 42-29, 61-54, 78-72.