By Ivan Saldajeno
MANILA—Magnolia rode on a monster game from Nick Rakocevic and clutch moments from Paul Lee to secure an 85-80 win against San Miguel to inch closer to taking the top seed in the PBA Commissioner's Cup quarterfinals in a crucial elimination round outing on Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Rakocevic made 26 points, 28 rebounds, one block, and three steals for the Hotshots, but none was more important than Lee's eight-point swing within the final 1:31 of the game, back-to-back triples and two free throws, that iced the game for them.
Lee added 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists for Magnolia, which solidified its hold of the top spot in the team standings at 8-1 ahead of a huge Saturday night showdown against Bay Area.
The game could ultimately decide which team will earn the top seed in the quarterfinals.
Devon Scott made 19 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, and one steal for San Miguel, whose own quarterfinal bid was derailed a bit as they fell to ninth place at 3-5.
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