(UPDATE) COMING off a high-octane Finals-opening win, San Miguel Beer (SMB) shoots for a 2-0 lead against Magnolia as action resumes in their PBA Season 48 Commissioner's Cup best-of-seven title series on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Game time is 6:15 p.m.
The Beermen took Game 1, 103-95 behind their strong offensive led by Best Import candidate Bennie Boatwright, who fired a game-high 28 points and CJ Perez's 19.
Though San Miguel saw its once imposing 18-point lead whittle down to five toward the endgame with Magnolia's bench players leading the charge, the Beermen managed to hold them off to take the win.
SMB coach Jorge Gallent admitted Magnolia is not the type of team that will merely back down from a big deficit.
"It's their [Hotshots] pressure defense. They tried to disrupt our offense. We just have to settle, and know who to go to," said Gallent, who is in his first Finals appearance as SMB head coach.
Gallent added that playing composed basketball has always been one of his reminders to the SMB players.
"When you play a top team like Magnolia, you will have to play 48 minutes of basketball. If you don't, this is what is going to happen," he said. "They will have a run, and it's good, we just didn't panic. That's the main thing, the players were composed. They know how to win."
The Hotshots are coming off a grueling quarterfinal clash with the Phoenix Fuel Masters and only had one day to prepare for the Finals against the Beermen.
Still, knowing Magnolia, a team hungry for a championship since it last won a crown in the 2018 Governors' Cup, the Hotshots are expected to bounce back strongly in Game 2.
And Gallent expects that nonetheless.
"I'm sure they will come out strong, and we need to match their intensity and energy," he said.