Clint Chapman of Magnolia in action against San Miguel in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup, April 12, 2026 at the Araneta Coliseum. PBA Media
MANILA (UPDATED) – The Magnolia Hotshots got back on the winning track in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup after taking down an all-Filipino San Miguel Beermen, 120-101, at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.
Magnolia built a double-digit lead over San Miguel to start the second quarter, 33-22, taking advantage of the absence of Justin Patton.
The reigning All-Filipino champions cut the lead down to single digits at the half, 57-50, led by CJ Perez with 16 points.
But the Hotshots came alive in the third quarter, outscoring the Beermen 34-22 to extend their lead to as much as 24 points, 88-62.
From there it was all Magnolia, as the deficit was too much for San Miguel to overcome.
Magnolia head coach LA Tenorio lauded his team for stepping up and bouncing back after their tough loss to Barangay Ginebra last Friday.
"I want to give credit to my players for responding really well. I challenged them before the huddle when we found out the import is not playing. I told them this team is more dangerous without an import. They're the all-Filipino champions for a reason," he said at the post-game press conference.
"I have a lot of young players right now. I think they're up to the challenge. That's what I like about my players," Tenorio added.
The Magnolia head coach, likewise, pointed out his team's improvement on defense, as they lessened their turnovers from 20 last game to 17.
"What I really emphasize with this team right now is really how to play defense. Because on offense, we can do whatever we want as long as we take care of the ball. Our turnovers are fixable. It's really about the familiarity with the new system and the new offense that I put in this conference," Tenorio said.
Clint Chapman had a huge scoring night for Magnolia with 34 points and six rebounds, earning him Player of the Game honors.
"You have to give San Miguel credit for playing without an import. I think they might play nearly as good with an import as they do without. Or the other way around, I would say. Give them a lot of credit. They obviously played hard tonight, but we had to find an advantage. I know I needed to be that advantage," Chapman said.
Jerom Lastimosa had 13 markers off a 5 of 6 shooting clip, while Ian Sangalang added 12 points.
Five San Miguel players tallied double digits in the loss, led by Perez, who had 23 markers, five rebounds, and five assists.
Magnolia improves to a 3-4 record, while San Miguel slips to a 3-4 slate.
The Hotshots will next face the Converge FiberXers, while the Beermen take on the NLEX Road Warriors on April 19 at the Ynares Center Antipolo.
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