PBA Finals: Magnolia beats San Miguel in Game 3 to trim series deficit

Aris Dionisio and Mark Barroca lead the Magnolia Hotshots’ late attack in the PBA Finals Game 3. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–Magnolia is now on the board in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals after putting out an 88-80 victory over San Miguel Beer on Wednesday, trimming its deficit in the series to 2-1 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Mark Barroca anchored the offensive attack, Aris Dionisio knocked down key outside shots and the Hotshots leaned on their trademark grindout effort on the defensive end to get back in the championship tussle after dropping the first two games.

Barroca finished with 20 points, four rebounds and six assists while Dionisio came off the bench with 11 points including a pair of threes in the fourth in the victory that gave the Hotshots some confidence in their bid to wrest their first PBA crown since the 2018 Governors’ Cup.

READ: PBA Finals: No quit in Magnolia after blowout, 0-2 hole

Jio Jalalon and Paul Lee, anemic in both games, also delivered for coach Chito Victolero’s team to avoid a dreaded 0-3 hole.

Game 4 of the PBA Finals is set Friday at the Big Dome.

The Hotshots snapped the Beermen’s franchise-tying 11 straight wins while also handing Bennie Boatwright his first defeat since arriving to replace Ivan Aska.

READ: PBA Finals: Beermen focused on more important goal

San Miguel won all of the previous eight games with Boatwright as reinforcement.

Boatwright worked hard for his 27 points as Magnolia put a defensive stand on the frontrunner for the Best Import award.

Two straight triples from Dionisio with help from Barroca’s quarterbacking put Magnolia up 73-62 with less than nine minutes to go as the Beermen couldn’t come back.