Pregame: Magnolia players’ pump-up jams before PBA Finals Game 3

Magnolia Hotshots’ import Tyler Bey in the PBA Finals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—“Sorry ‘bout that, I had to switch the side.”

That’s one of the lines Yeat spit in his hit song, “Sorry ‘Bout That.” It’s rather fitting that Magnolia’s Tyler Bey chose it to be his pregame song.

Because the Hotshots, indeed, switched the side from losers to winners, finally earning a victory in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals after three games against the mighty San Miguel Beermen.

PBA Finals schedule: San Miguel vs Magnolia

Following two demoralizing games to start off the best-of-seven title round, Magnolia came back from the dead to trim the series deficit, 2-1, with an 88-80 victory on Wednesday.

Bey registered 11 points with six rebounds in the process. What fueled his performance? The tune of uprising rap artist Yeat, who makes high-energy hip hop songs that can hype even the sleepiest baller in the arena.

“My go-to would probably be Yeat. I pretty much listen to all his songs and he’s just more energetic and gets you going but if I had to choose a song, it’d probably be ‘Sorry ‘Bout That,’ and also Meek Mill, you can never go wrong with him,” said Bey.

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“I also listen to Rod Wave, he’s mostly chill to calm me down. Right now, it depends on what I’m feeling. I listen to a lot of Rod Wave, Yeat, Meek Mill, I listen to a lot of genres and it depends on how I’m feeling.”

It certainly helped Bey go into overdrive despite not reaching his conference averages, being active on defense and helping the Hotshots limit San Miguel to under 90 points.

But while Bey wants his head rocking before the intense 48-minute barnburners, one of his teammates wants the complete opposite.

‘NOT SO LETHAL’ WEAPON

Magnolia Hotshots’ Paul Lee against San Miguel Beermen’s Chris Ross in the PBA Finals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Paul Lee, known to be absolutely lethal on the court with his killer crossovers and long-range bombs, has a different approach in preparing before the game.

Instead of listening to high-intensity tunes and funky sounds, the “Lethal Weapon” chooses to listen to not-so-lethal tunes.

In particular, slow tunes and RnB.

“I just listen to old music like RnB and try to calm me down,” said Lee, the multi-timed PBA All-Star, after finishing with 12 points, three rebounds and three assists.

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“I listen to Usher, Chris Brown and some slow music because I need to calm myself down and focus.”

And like that Usher song “Burn,” Lee certainly burned down the Beermen’s defense sinking two triples in an efficient 50 percent field goal shooting clip.

It’s just a matter of time before Game 4 and if Magnolia hopes to tie the series at two games a piece, expect the Hotshots to blare out their favorite songs again before tip-off.