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PBA: Lee determined to win first PH Cup

by Waylon Galvez

Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok playmaker Paul Lee understands how difficult it is playing a team that is at its peak, and that is the case as his team takes on reigning four-time champion San Miguel Beer in the PBA Philippine Cup finals series.

The nine-year veteran Lee will be making his fourth stint in the all-Filipino conference finals. In his previous three, his team lost against teams and players that were at their best.

“It’s always like that,” Lee told The Bulletin prior to the PBA’s press conference Monday for the Philippine Cup finals series at the Sambokojin Restaurant in Libis, Quezon City.

Paul Lee of the Magnolia Hotshots (PBA Images)

“Parang yung mga teams na mga naka-harap ko noon sa Finals maski nung nasa Rain or Shine pa ako naglalaro, nasa peak sila kaya ganun yung results sa series,” the 6-foot-1 guard added.

Lee’s first Philippine Cup finals stint was during the 2013 season when ROS lost to Talk ‘N Text 4-0. Among the players he faced at that time were Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro and Ranidel de Ocampo.

Rain or Shine earned a second straight trip to the finals of the all-Filipino tournament the following season but San Mig Super Coffee edged them 4-2.

San Mig, then under coach Tim Cone with the ‘Big Three’ of James Yap, Marc Pingris and PJ Simon, went on to capture the next two conferences to compete a Grand Slam season in 2014.

Last season, Lee – who joined Magnolia in 2015 in a blockbuster trade with ROS for Yap – and the team lost to SMB 4-1 during the Philippine Cup finals, which extended the dominance of the Beermen to a league record fourth straight all-Filipino championship.

Despite the previous results, Lee said there is no reason for him or for Magnolia to dwell on the past. Instead, he said he is more focused and hungry to win his first Philippine Cup title.

“Mas magpu-pursige, na. Sana makuha na,” said Lee, who won two championships with Rain or Shine, the 2012 Governors’ Cup and the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup, and one so far with Magnolia when the team bagged the 2018 Governors’ Cup title against Alaska.

Tags: James Yap , Jayson Castro , Jimmy Alapag , Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok , Marc Pingris , Paul Lee , PBA , PBA Philippine Cup , PBA Philippine Cup finals , PBA Philippine Cup finals series , Rain or Shine , Ranidel de Ocampo , San Miguel Beer , Tim Cone