MANILA, Philippines – Magnolia Chicken Timplados is still moving at a freight train’s pace.

By smashing Meralco 121 to 101 on Sunday night at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan, the Hotshots continued their unbeaten record in the PBA on Tour. They were riding Paul Lee’s scorching bombing streak at the time.

The Magnolia Hotshots were able to secure another resounding victory thanks to Paul Lee, who came off the bench and gave an outstanding performance. Lee scored 28 points in just 19 minutes of action, displaying his accurate shooting by making 7 of his 9 three-point attempts.

Lee had the most impact in the last seconds of the second quarter. He made three three-pointers in a row to start a crucial 17-1 Hotshots rally. They were able to come back from a seven-point deficit and finish the quarter with a 27-18 lead thanks to this uprising.

The Meralco Bolts rallied and cut the deficit to 73-69 in the third quarter, but Magnolia rallied back with a 12-point spurt that was highlighted by another three-pointer from Lee. By doing so, they increased their advantage to 16 points and effectively terminated the game for their opponents.

Strong contributions from Lee’s colleagues complemented his outstanding performance. Jio Jalalon set the scoring barrage with 18 points and six assists, followed by double-digit scoring performances from James Laput, Mark Barroca, Jerrick Ahanmisi, and Joseph Eriobu.

Magnolia now has a perfect 7-0 record, making them the only unbeaten team in the preseason series run by Arena Plus and backed by Bingo Plus. The win over the depleted Meralco team enhanced their record.

On the other hand, Meralco largely relied on Diego Dario to take over the major playmaking responsibilities when important players were not present. Dario led the squad with 22 points, including six three-pointers, in a standout outing. It was insufficient, though, to defeat the Hotshots’ potent offensive firepower.

Paul Lee’s scoring explosion and the team’s outstanding performances all contributed to Magnolia’s commanding performance, which cemented their position as a serious contender in the preseason series. Their unblemished record is proof of their exceptional synergy and tenacity going into the new season.

Scores at the end of the match

Magnolia with 121 points

Individual scores: Lee 28, Jalalon 18, Laput 14, Barroca 12, Eriobu 11, Ahanmisi 11, Tratter 8, Murrell 6, Mendoza 6, Dela Rosa 4, and Reavis 3

Meralco with 101 points

Individual scores: Dario had a score of 22, Quinto had 14, Hodge had 13, Johnson had 12, Torres had 12, Maliksi had 8, Pascual had 7, Jose had 2, and Pasaol had 0.

Scores per quarter

27 to 18, 59 to 45, 88 to 70, 121 to 10