Defeated now yet will bounce back later.

That's the vow Magnolia Hotshots head coach Chito Victolero promised as his squad aimed to recover from their 88-70 blowout loss in the hands of the waxing-hot TNT Tropang Giga in Game One of the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup Finals last Wednesday.

"We will certainly try to fix that. Today is another day, we will forget that game (yesterday), and we will move forward together," Victolero said.

The 45-year-old former Sta. Lucia Realtors guard-turned coach furthered that the Hotshots will learn from its lackluster showing and is ready to redeem themselves on the continuation of their best-of-seven series in the Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU) gymnasium.

"We will play and go back to Magnolia Hotshots' basketball. We will play better (tomorrow)," the Hotshots mentor added.

No one expected that the highly-anticipated clash between powerhouse teams representing San Miguel Corporation and Manny V. Pangilinan Group of Companies would eventually become a one-sided affair.

TNT proved to be too much for Magnolia to handle since the get-go with the Chot Reyesmentored squad cruising to an early 20-2 lead in the opening period then widened the gap to the largest lead of the ball game, 73-41, in the late stretch of the third canto.

For Victolero, their horrific start sent them crashing haplessly.

"Bad start, bad game," he said as the Hotshots' performance even broke erstwhile worst league and franchise scoring records, according to PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III.

With its main gunners Ian Sangalang (back spasm) and Paul Lee (painful shoulder) nursing injuries and had to play limited minutes, Magnolia only shot 20 of its 73 attempts (27 percent shooting), which now became the all-time league finals' worst field goal percentage recorded by a team.

The Hotshots' loss paved the way for the Tropang Giga to rewrite history, as the latter once held that dubious feat after converting just 30.3 percent (23-of-76 FGs) of its shots in their 67-59 triumph in the 2003 All-Filipino Cup Finals Game Three versus Coca-Cola handled by Reyes.

It's also Purefood's worst shooting woe in a finals round and third all-time lowest in team history.

Source: Spin.ph

Photo Source: PBA Images

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