MAGNOLIA hopes the major tinkering it just made immediately pays off against Phoenix Super LPG’s well-entrenched camaraderie and own built-in purpose when they duel Friday in the PBA Governors Cup at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The Hotshots are still winless after three games while the Fuel Masters want nothing more than to get back on track following a loss their last time out that dropped them to 1-4.

“Parehas kaming kailangan ng panalo kaya very important game para sa amin,” said Hotshots coach Chito Victolero on the eve of the match. “Actually nga, must-win for both teams so we expect a very hard game.”

Game time is 3 p.m.

But unlike Phoenix, which has played all its first five games with Du’vaughn Maxwell, Magnolia has had to do some scrambling with new import Antonio Hester.

Hester, a bulky power forward who reinforced Terrafirma in the 2021 edition of the same tourney, has promptly buckled down to cramming with his new teammates in the three practices he has participated in since arriving over the last weekend.

Victolero is hoping the gelling in his team would be enough for the Phoenix game. “Importante lang dito preparation namin kasi nga bago import. We need the locals na makita agad kung ano p’wedeng maitulong at ma-i-contribute sa kanya, and vice versa,” said the one-time Coach of the Year.

“Pero ‘yung spot na kulang namin right now, mapupunan niya,” added Victolero. “‘Yung inside game, rebounding. Mga iyon talaga ang kulang namin with the absence of Ian (Sangalang). I think, ‘yun muna ang kailangan naming bigyan ng pansin.”

Indeed, Hester is known more as an inside operator and got tapped precisely because star center Sangalang remains unavailable due to illness and veteran Rafi Reavis still has to get into full game-shape.

Original import Eric McCree simply could not fill up said gaping hole as he plays the shooting guard and small forward positions.

There’s some hope for Magnolia aside from Hester’s arrival. In a 98-100 loss to San Miguel Beer last Sunday, James Laput and Russel Escoto tried to fill the void and partly succeeded by combining for 18 points and nine rebounds.

“Maganda contribution, nag-step up sila and sana tuloy-tuloy na,” said Victolero. “Iyon lang naman, mag-step up ibang players, makuha namin rhythm. Sana makakuha ng buwelo bukas then mag-dire-diretso na.”

How Hester could impose his bulk inside is sure to undergo a severe test, what with Maxwell a known rim protector with a league-leading 3.4 blocks per game aside from his other averages of 26 points and 14.4 boards.