MANILA – Magnolia Hotshots will bank on its Game 3 win and Holy Week break as they aim to tie Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in Game 4 of the 2019 Honda PBA Philippine Cup semifinals tonight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Hotshots star Paul Lee said their 85-74 victory over the Painters in Game 3 last Holy Tuesday was a welcome breather for them as they avoided to fall on a precarious 0-3 deficit in the race-to-four series.
“Medyo mahirap ‘pag natalo kami (nung Game 3) tapos magbebreak. Although makakapagpahinga kami pero di mawawala sa isip namin na zero-three kami,” Lee said.
He added: “At least eto ‘yung momentum naming nanalo kami andyan na. So malaking factor talaga itong nanalo kami tapos itong Holy Week break para makapagpahinga kami.”
The former PBA Rookie of the Year awardee also said that they also used the week-long break to rest their bodies after the Hotshots underwent consecutive games dating back the quarterfinals against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings.
“Sa one week naka ilang game na kami – kung pagsasamahin mo ‘yung three games na ‘to pati ‘yung three games ng Ginebra parang naka-isang series na kami,” said the 30-year-old Lee.
“Mabigat pero ‘yun ‘yung binigay samin, kailangan harapin namin. Pero sama-sama pa rin kami,” added Lee, who sustained minor injury in Game 3 after colliding with Painters’ Maverick Ahanmisi.
The Hotshots were hoping to have a shot on their second consecutive PBA title after ruling the 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup late last year. It was also an opportunity for them to improve their runner-up finish in the Philippine Cup last year./PN
