WATCH: Rome dela Rosa Highlights [Magnolia vs Rain or Shine | 2021 Govs’ Cup | Dec. 19, 2021]

Buoyed by the presence of the live crowd, Magnolia dealt Rain or Shine a 109-98 loss in the PBA Governor’s Cup on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Jio Jalalon came out with double-double outputs as he unloaded 14 points and 10 assists to propel the Hotshots their second straight win after pulling away in the third frame.

Mike Harris, meanwhile, topscored with 26 points while Calvin Abueva put up 18 markers for Magnolia.

“It starts with our defense. We want to control the pace of the game. We need to have that mental toughness because we know it’s going to be a physical game,” stated Magnolia coach Chito Victolero.

“Alam naman namin ‘yung Rain or Shine, last bubble we faced them in the quarterfinals and we had a hard time. Ang maganda lang is we continue to play defense and execute on our offense,” he added.

Ian Sangalang churned out 11 points off the bench while Rome Dela Rosa and Jerick Ahanmisi also finished with 9 and 8 markers respectively that drew a 94-78 cushion in the fourth before Jalalon knocked down two free-throws for the largest lead of the match.