MANILA, Philippines—Paul Lee delivered in the clutch and lifted Magnolia past Alaska, 79-78, to move a win away from the PBA Governors’ Cup crown Friday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Lee recovered the ball after Mike Harris denied Romeo Travis at the rim and the six-foot shooting guard calmly drilled the baseline jumper with 1.3 seconds left in the clock.
Harris had a chance to win the game for the Aces but his jumper came up short against the outstretched arms of Travis.
And Harris’ shot wasn’t the only chance the Aces had to win the game.
Holding a 76-75 lead, Kevin Racal and Jake Pascual missed back-to-back layups and that allowed Lee to find Ian Sangalang for a transition layup.
Sangalang, who finished with a team-high 20 points, converted his three-point play to give the Hotshots a 77-76 lead with 18.7 seconds to play.
Marky Barroca and Jio Jalalon added 14 and 13 points, respectively, while Lee finished with 11 points and 10 boards.
Harris had a game-high 28 points and 20 rebounds for the Aces.
Game 6 is on Wednesday at Ynares Center in Antipolo.