MANILA – Magnolia finally sealed the twice-to-beat advantage in the PBA Commissioner's Cup quarterfinals right at the final game of the elimination round, beating Rain Or Shine, 106-90, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig on Friday night.
Down for most of the first three quarters, the Hotshots changed the tides in the fourth, erupting for 35 points to steal the win from the Elasto Painters, who were held to just 13.
Battling through foul trouble, Nick Rakocevic led Magnolia, which will face seventh-seeded Phoenix in the next round, with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Paul Lee and Ian Sangalang each added 16 points.
Rey Nambatac and Santi Santillan each pitched in 15 points for ROS, which now needs to beat NLEX in the wildcard game at 6:30 p.m. Sunday for the right to complete the quarterfinal cast.
The winner of the game will face off with the top-seeded Bay Area in the next round.
The outcome means Ginebra will settle for the third seed and will play sixth-seeded NorthPort in a best-of-three series. (PNA)
