PBA: Magnolia punches quarterfinals ticket with rout of Ginebra

MANILA, October 12 ------ The Magnolia Hotshots pulled away for a 112-93 victory over archrival Barangay Ginebra to secure their place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 PBA Governors' Cup on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Hotshots stretched their winning streak to five games and improved their record to 6-3, in the process becoming the first team in Group B to secure their place in the playoffs. Zavier Lucero starred in the win with 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 35-minute stint, while Jerom Lastimosa added 16 points and seven assists. "I think we're playing with confidence. We're playing with rhythm, we're playing together. But we can't look past the next game. We have Rain or Shine next, so we're focused on getting that one, and then we'll deal with the playoffs when it comes," said Lucero after the game.

Ginebra opened the game with six straight points but Magnolia countered with an 8-0 run. Mark Barroca and Lucero then spurred a pivotal 15-2 scoring spree that gave the Hotshots a 23-9 advantage, and they never looked back. Magnolia went on to lead by as many as 24 points, 94-66, as they handed Ginebra their fifth loss in eight games. Import Jordan Murphy had 18 points on 5-of-18 shooting, while RJ Abarrientos managed 12 points in 27 minutes and committed five of the Gin Kings' 13 turnovers.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com