Magnolia beats Phoenix to gain share of Group B second

Magnolia Hotshots’ KJ Buffen during a game vs Phoenix Fuel Masters in the 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup. –PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines–Magnolia continued its fine form going into the long break after dislodging Phoenix out of the Group B lead with a 115-101 victory in the 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup on Wednesday at Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Import KJ Buffen, Jerom Lastimosa and Mark Barroca led the scoring charge as the Hotshots registered their third consecutive win and improved to 4-3.

That put Magnolia in a tie for second with Phoenix, which dropped its second straight game.

Buffen scored 35 points for his best-scoring game in his PBA stint, Lastimosa dropped a career-high 30 points on top of three assists and two steals while Barroca put up a conference-high 21 points.

Magnolia Hotshots’ Jerom Lastimosa during a game vs Phoenix Fuel Masters in the 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup. –PBA IMAGES

The three conspired to help Magnolia pull away from an 86-82 deficit in the early moments of the final period.

Magnolia scored 16 in a row–all courtesy of Buffen, Lastimosa and Barroca–to gain a 98-86 lead halfway through the fourth.

Import BJ Johnson’s 37 points were not enough to prevent Phoenix from absorbing another setback to open the second round.

Ricci Rivero added 16 points, six rebounds and five steals for the Fuel Masters, who also played their final game before the two-month respite.