Magnolia's Zav Lucero in action. PBA Images

MANILA, Philippines – Magnolia's campaign in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup got a timely boost.

The Hotshots survived a late barrage from Phoenix en route to a much-needed 110-104 triumph, Thursday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

They got to live another day, snapping the Fuel Masters' two-game winning streak in the process.

Coach Chito Victolero admitted that they needed guys who would fill in the shoes of ace guard Paul Lee, who is currently injured.

One person who stepped up for him tonight was forward Zav Lucero, who dropped a team-high 25 points on 3-of-6 three pointers, five rebounds, two assists, and a block.

Lucero also nailed back-to-back clutch triples in the fourth at the corner, keeping Magnolia's fourth quarter lead from erroding.

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"We try to find guys that can fill up the shoes for Paul Lee. We have a hard time to score, especially in our last game. We needed somebody to step up not only on points but who would do the little things. This guy, Zavier, he has impacted the game," shared Victolero during the postgame press conference.

"Peter Alfaro, he deserves also to be the Best Player," Victolero also asserted as he praised the young guard who added 14 markers, four dimes, and three boards.

The Hotshots saw their 14-point cushion trimmed down to four as Kai Ballungay spearheaded a comeback attempt for the Fuel Masters, nailing baskets from the inside and from beyond the arc, 106-102.

It was stand-still at a four-point separation as Lucero completed his trip to the line and Jason Perkins nailed a jumper with 37 seconds left for a 108-104 count.

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Ballungay then missed a crucial trey with around five seconds left, as Mark Barroca converted on the line to settle the final score. 

"Before we prepared for this game, talagang kinausap ko sila," said Victolero. "We're in a do-or-die situation. We cannot afford to lose."

Barroca chipped in 22 points for the winning cause, while reinforcement Ricardo Ratliffe snagged the same points but made his presence felt on the boards, garnering a whopping 19 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Donovan Smith paced the losing Fuel Masters side as he dropped a game-high 40 points and also tallied six rebounds and two steals.

Magnolia, which now holds a 4-6 win-loss card, faces Eastern next on January 26, while Phoenix, which moved down to 3-6, has a chance to bounce back sooner against NLEX on January 19.

The Scores:

MAGNOLIA 110 – Lucero 25, Ratliffe 22, Barroca 22, Alfaro 14, Abueva 6, Lastimosa 6, Dionisio 5, Eriobu 5, Sangalang 4, Dela Rosa 1, Balanza 0, Mendoza 0, Reavis 0

PHOENIX 104 – Smith 40, Jazul 15, Perkins 15, Ballungay 13, Rivero 6, Tio 5, Manganti 4, Muyang 2, Tuffin 2, Verano 2, Garcia 0, Alejandro 0, Camacho 0, Daves 0, Salado 0, Ular 0

QUARTERS: 29-34, 50-50, 83-76, 110-104

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