Photo credit: PBA

Magnolia may be sitting comfortably among the PBA Philippine Cup leaders, but for new head coach LA Tenorio, simply making the quarterfinals isn’t the goal—it’s just the starting point.

Tenorio, still fresh in his role after taking over in late July, said the Hotshots are using this crucial stretch of games to truly measure where they stand as a team — and where he stands as a coach.

“Magkakaroon kami ng opportunity na makita kung nasaan na kami as a team and nasaan na ako as a coach,” Tenorio said Thursday. “Malalaman natin iyan in our upcoming games.”

Magnolia faces Converge today, Dec 5, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, with both squads currently locked at 5-2. A win not only breaks the tie, it also inches either team closer to securing a playoff ticket.

But Tenorio is aiming even bigger: a top-four finish, which comes with a win-once advantage in the quarterfinals. For that to happen, Magnolia must take down fellow contenders Converge, NLEX, Rain or Shine, and TNT.

One slip, however, could send them sliding down the standings.

“Lahat ng kalaban namin nasa ibabaw namin. Isang talo, number seven kami,” Tenorio warned.

With that in mind, Tenorio continues to remind his players how important every game is at this point of the conference.

“Alam naman nila kung gaano ka-importante itong stretch na ito… Iilan lang naman ang bago sa amin. Marurunong na mga iyan,” he said. “Pagkakaiba lang ngayon—bagong sistema, bagong mukha, bagong tao.”

Still, Tenorio believes that even landing in the lower half of the quarterfinal bracket isn’t exactly doom and gloom.

“Maganda ang top 4, pero kung iisipin natin, hindi ka rin sigurado sa magiging bottom four,” he noted.

For now, Magnolia stays focused, hungry, and aware that every possession counts. The Hotshots aren’t just chasing wins—they’re chasing identity, momentum, and a deeper playoff run under their new coach.

Next stop: Converge. And for Tenorio’s Hotshots, every step matters.