PBA: Look forward, Paul Lee urges ‘heavy’ Magnolia Hotshots

Magnolia Hotshots’ Paul Lee during a PBA Commissioner’s Cup game. –PBA IMAGES

Magnolia has lost five of its last six games to drop to a 2-5 record in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

There are only a few solutions that could help the Hotshots at this point of the tournament and cornerstone Paul Lee swears by one.

“I think it’s more important that we focus on our next games rather than pinpoint on what happened in this loss,” he said of the crushing 95-92 loss at the hands of corporate sibling but bitter rival Barangay Ginebra on Christmas Day.

READ: PBA: With Magnolia struggling, Mark Barroca wary of long break

“Everything’s already heavy as of this moment. I think, at this point, it’s just going to be a matter of how we’re going to gather ourselves and how we should not give up each other,” he added.

Magnolia squandered a 22-point cushion against the Gin Kings and missed out on what could’ve been their first winning streak after escaping NLEX, 99-95, in an overtime thriller a week ago.

Sweep needed

A traditional title contender, the Hotshots are now 10th in the standings, meaning they are two shades out of the qualifying threshold. Another loss could put them out of the race for a playoff spot, which would be a first after having made the knockout stage of the last 17 conferences.

But Lee is right. And with the right steps, a sweep of their remaining games could hike their record to 7-5 at best.

READ: PBA: Christmas Day finds Magnolia searching for gift vs Ginebra

“We’ll just have to take a rest. And gather ourselves,” the crafty guard pointed out. “That’s all we could do at this point.”

Lee’s backcourt partner, Mark Barroca, echoed the same thoughts. But having been in the league for so long, the veteran playmaker also called to guard against complacency coming after the holiday break.

“I’m actually wary of our break. We go back to playing on Jan. 10. And as you’ve all noticed, we’re fading,” he said in a separate chat.

“Also, at 2-5 (and that long break), we might lose some sense of urgency. As professional players, we have to take care of our bodies so we can stay sharp,” he added.

Magnolia gets back to work against Terrafirma. But it will be a trek right after the listless Dyip as the Hotshots battle San Miguel, Hong Kong Eastern and then Meralco for their last four games to finish the elimination phase.