PBA: Magnolia zooms away to crush NLEX and go 5-0

Magnolia Hotshots’ Mark Barroca. –PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines–Magnolia rediscovered its touch just in time to pummel NLEX on Friday night, 99-72, ultimately keeping its start in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup spotless in five games.

Hotshots’ import Tyler Bey, Paul Lee, Jio Jalalon, and Mark Barroca joined hands in a fiery third quarter to outscore the enemy, 30-14 and pretty much take the fight out of the Road Warriors with still plenty of basketball left to play.

“We just reminded the players to tighten the defense. So this is a testament, limiting (NLEX) to just below 80 points,” said coach Chito Victolero on the heels of the rout at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City that also kept the club squarely on top of the standings.

Bey finished with 23 points, Barroca 19, Lee 14, Jalalon 11. James Laput ended up chipping in 16 points into the scoring effort as the club’s core of stars retired from the match halfway through the final frame.

Import Stokley Chaffee Jr. put up 23 points and 19 in his NLEX debut. Kris Rosales added 15 but with no other local player finishing with double digits, the Road Warriors hardly stood a chance.

NLEX dropped to ninth spot, for now falling out of the qualifying threshold for the playoffs with a 2-3 mark.

Magnolia plays 1-4 Blackwater next. NLEX, meanwhile, turns its sights on 3-1 Meralco.