DON'T panic and stay composed.
It's the way to beat reigning PBA Governors Cup champion Barangay Ginebra in a game as intense as the series opener of its semifinals series against Magnolia Pambansang Manok especially with the way the predominantly pro-Kings crowd energized the team at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Paul Lee offered the Hotshots didn't implode even in the midst of a huge Ginebra comeback in the fourth quarter and instead, stayed together and delivered under pressure to pull off the 106-98 win in Game 1 of the Petron Saturday Special.
"Weathered the storm lang naman, yun lang ang magagawa mo dun," said Lee. "We held each other. Si coach Chito (Victolero) naka-relax lang siya, so lahat nag-start sa coaching staff. We just played through it.
"Ganun ang kailangan niyong gawin to beat a team like Ginebra."
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Lee and import Romeo Travis was clutch in the stretch run as they instigated a 10-2 Hotshots run to steer the team to safer grounds, 103-93, after the Kings threatened and came within two points amid chants of Ginebra! Ginebra! Ginebra! from the jampacked crowd.
Travis and Lee combined for 18 points in the fourth quarter to quell the rally of the defending champions, who came roaring back from as much as a 16-point deficit in the third quarter.
But Lee credited the entire team for Magnolia taking the headstart in the best-of-five series.
"Collective effort. End of the game, nakuha namin yung panalo," said Lee, who led all Magnolia locals with 27 points.
The win was also the first for Magnolia against its long-time rival since Game 5 of the Philippine Cup semis last year
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It's just Game 1 though, and the sooner the Hotshots set aside the euphoria of their victory, the better.
"That's nothing. The job is not yet finish," said Lee.
"We know coach Tim (Cone). You beat him once, he'll gonna beat you twice. So we got to be ready with that."
Game Two of the series is set Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. (RG)
