LA Tenorio called his shot before the ball even went up. The Magnolia coach warned his Hotshots that Barangay Ginebra would make them fight for every possession in Sunday’s Manila Clasico, so he demanded his squad dish out the exact same punishment right back.

They didn’t just follow orders. They delivered a beatdown.

Magnolia blitzed Barangay Ginebra 88-73 in a near wire-to-wire demolition during the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, turning what was billed as a classic slugfest into a one-sided rout that left the Gin Kings searching for answers.

The Hotshots needed just one quarter to find their rhythm, and they never looked back.

Lucero’s Early Explosion Sets the Tone

After a tightly contested 25-24 opening frame, Magnolia detonated in the second quarter behind a scorching outburst from Zavier Lucero. The versatile forward torched Ginebra for 22 of his game-high 24 points in the opening half alone, attacking from every angle with inside finishes, putbacks and transition buckets the Gin Kings simply couldn’t contain.

That surge propelled the Hotshots to a commanding 53-43 halftime cushion, and the margin only grew from there. Magnolia’s lead swelled to as many as 20 points in the second half as the Hotshots clamped down defensively, choking off Ginebra’s offense and keeping their rivals at arm’s length until the final buzzer.

Lucero didn’t do it alone. New import KJ Buffen bullied his way to 23 points, while veteran big man Ian Sangalang chipped in 16 as Magnolia hammered Ginebra relentlessly in the paint.

Tenorio Gets Personal Revenge as Ginebra’s Offense Stalls

The victory carried extra weight for Tenorio, the longtime Ginebra floor general who now sits 2-1 against his former team since taking over the Magnolia bench. It also arrived at a critical moment for the Hotshots, who had opened the conference with an alarming 1-3 skid before Sunday’s statement win pulled them level with their storied rivals at 2-3 in Group B — though both clubs remain behind conference pacesetters Phoenix (4-1) and Rain or Shine (4-2).

For Ginebra, the loss exposed a rare and troubling offensive drought. Stephen Holt paced the Gin Kings with 17 points, while import Lewis Grigsby struggled through a rough shooting night, managing just 15. The Gin Kings’ typically explosive attack was held to a season-low 73 points — a stunning collapse for a franchise built on firepower.

What was supposed to be a nail-biting Manila Clasico instead turned into a full-blown Magnolia masterclass, sending a message to the rest of the Governors’ Cup field that the Hotshots are far from done.