Games today:

(Ynares Center)

5 p.m. — Blackwater vs Barangay Ginebra

7:30 p.m. — Magnolia vs San Miguel Beer

Magnolia braces for another dogfight against desperate defending champion San Miguel Beer to keep up in the tightening playoffs race in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup today at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Both squads are in a tough bind, straddling the far end of the Top 8, with little room for error or risk falling further behind.

A situation Hotshots coach Chito Victolero is very much aware of.

Magnolia is in joint ninth place with a 3-5 win-loss record, tied with NLEX, just behind the Beermen, who parade a 3-4 mark in eighth place.

So, Victolero knows the magnitude of the 7:30 p.m. showdown between the last season’s finals protagonists.

“Again, it’s a battle. It’s a grind-it-out game again. Both teams need to win, and I think they are also in the middle of the pack. It’s a dogfight on Sunday,” Victolero said.

Luckily, the Hotshots in a way, carry momentum after an 89-84 escape over winless Terrafirma last Friday.

The victory somehow eased some pressure off Magnolia’s back.

However, the Hotshots will continue to miss the services of veteran guard Paul Lee due to a nagging knee injury (meniscus).

“Paul Lee is day-to-day. We just relegated him to the reserve/injured list. Our target (for his return) is on the 16th, if not I think he’ll be back on the 26th. That’s the target of our medical staff,” Victolero said.

While workhorse import Ricardo Ratliffe, who dropped 32 points and 14 rebounds last game, is expected to deliver his usual numbers, Victolero hopes to see more from his locals.

Mark Barroca, Zav Lucero, Ian Sangalang, Calvin Abueva and rookie Jerom Lastimosa need to provide consistent support on both ends of the floor to score Magnolia’s first back-to-back victory in the mid-season tournament.

“Hopefully, with the help of the locals, we’ll have a good run these next few games. We play again on Sunday and have another next Thursday. The next few games are very important for us,” Victolero said.

San Miguel, on the other hand, has lost back-to-back games, losing to Hong Kong Eastern, 91-99, to end 2024 before a rude welcome to the new year brought by Barangay Ginebra, 81-93, with substitute import Jabari Narcis.

Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra clashes with Blackwater in the 5 p.m. curtain-raiser.

The Kings eye a return to the win column to improve their 5-3 slate, which they share with Meralco.

Ginebra suffered a 116-119 loss to league-leading NorthPort last Wednesday that snapped its two-game win streak.

The Bossing are in survival mode after dropping three straight games for a 1-6 card at 12th spot.