MANILA, Philippines – Ian Sangalang saved the day for Magnolia in its semifinal duel against Rain or Shine, and he has injured teammate Marc Pingris to thank for his heroics. 

The fleet-footed slotman prevented the Hotshots from falling to a 0-3 in the best-of-seven affair of the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup as he came up clutch in an 85-74 victory on Tuesday, April 16. 

Scoring just 4 points through 3 quarters, Sangalang finally found his niche with 12 points in the final frame and singlehandedly outscored the entire Elasto Painters – who had only 11 points – to lead the comeback win. 

He finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds behind sound advice from Pingris. 

“Si Ping, ni-lift up niya ako, sobrang thankful ako, naa-appreciate ko paano niya ako i-motivate. Siguro nanggaling na ‘yung laro ko kay Ping,” he said of his teammate, who has been sidelined for more than a year now. 

(Ping always lifts my spirits up and I’m very thankful for him. I appreciate how he motivates me. I guess my game came from Ping.) 

Sangalang was practically unstoppable in the payoff period, missing only 3 shots and going on a personal 6-0 tear that gave Magnolia a comfortable 82-74 lead with under a minute remaining. 

“Lagi niya naman ako sinasabihan na once nakuha ko na ‘yung laro ko, babalik na ako. Positive lang. Sobrang lagi niya ako namo-motivate,” he said of Pingris’ role in his insurgence. 

(He always tells me that once I get my game back, I can already contribute. I stayed positive. He always motivates me.) 

Aside from Pingris’ motivation, the fact that Magnolia could not afford allowing Rain or Shine to enjoy a commanding 3-0 series lead was enough reason for Sangalang to take charge. 

“Kapag matalo kami sobrang hirap na eh, so binigay namin ng chance sarili namin na manalo.” (If we lost again, it would be hard to come back, so we gave ourselves the chance to win.)

Having played 7 games within 14 days, Magnolia will go on a well-deserved break before locking horns with Rain or Shine anew in the pivotal Game 4 on Monday, April 22, at the Araneta Coliseum. – Rappler.com