Magnolia routs Ginebra, seals playoff spot

MANILA, Philippines — Magnolia started like a house on fire and managed to sustain its hot start to pulverize Barangay Ginebra, 112-93 to seal a playoff berth in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. Six Hotshots scored in double figures led by Zavier Lucero who flirted with a double-double after finishing with 21 points and nine rebounds. Jerome Lastimosa added 16, Mark Barroca had 15, while import KJ Buffen produced 14 and 10 rebounds.  Peter Alfaro and Ian Sangalang added 12 and 10, respectively. The Hotshots have gone 2-0 in their head-to-head match up versus the Gin Kings following their 87-72 win on Aug. 2. Magnolia improved to 6-3 to maintain the lead in Group B standings. Ginebra fell to 3-5. Earlier, Converge clobbered a listless Titan Ultra, 152-119 to also secure a playoff spot. Juan Gomez De Liaño delivered a triple-double of 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists as the FiberXers' victory shut the playoffs door on the Giant Risers. Titan Ultr fell to 2-8, in a tie with Macau in Group A. Gomez de Liaño and import Cameron Clark combined to score 28 of Converge’s 53 points in the final quarter to seal the lopsided win. The FiberXers improved to 6-4, a...