Magnolia Hotshots’ Paul Lee during a game against the Meralco Bolts in the PBA Governors’ Cup.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Paul Lee immediately felt the effects of the newly implemented four-point line in Magnolia’s game against Meralco in the season opener on Sunday.
And while there are a lot of criticisms surrounding the league’s implementation, Lee is certainly not one of them.
“It [four-point line] makes the game more exciting. We were just down by two earlier and even if they make two free throws, we still had a chance to tie or even take a one-point lead,” said Lee.
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“Late in the game, even if you have like a 10-point lead with a minute and a half to go, it’s hard to say that you’ve already won. When the other team runs and makes two [four-pointers], it’s a close game right away. It’s fun and exciting.”
After Meralco guard Chris Newsome split his free throws that gave the Bolts a 97-94 lead in the waning seconds of the game, Magnolia import Glenn Robinson III tried to win it with a four-point shot but missed that led to a pair of game-sealing freebies by Allen Durham on the other end.
Meralco guard Chris Banchero sank the first-ever 4-pointer–a shot taken from 27 feet and beyond–at the 10:26 mark of the second quarter.
Lee knocked one down too early in the fourth period to finish with 14 points.
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“Meralco respected it [four-pointers] right away. If you saw (Chris) Banchero and the others earlier and how they defended me, they didn’t give me any space. I just got lucky, the one I shot was during a fast break,” said Lee.
Still, Lee reiterated that there’s no need for the Hotshots to have a concerted effort in taking four-point shots.
“We’re not looking too much into it. If you’re open just take it. We also know, inside our team, who shoots from there so we’re not going to force it.”