Magnolia will once again take a crack at breaking its tie with the defunct Alaska franchise for third on the all-time list of victories when it battles Blackwater on Friday in the PBA Philippine Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Hotshots are currently even with the fabled Aces at 993 wins, per the league’s chief statistician Fidel Mangonon, trailing only their sister teams, San Miguel Beermen and Barangay Ginebra.
Their first opportunities fell short the previous Friday when Magnolia absorbed a 94-92 loss to San Miguel at Ynares Center Montalban in Rodriguez, Rizal. The Hotshots next chance was supposed to be last Sunday against TNT, but it was postponed due to Super Typhoon Uwan.
Alaska sold its franchise to Converge in 2022 after 36 years in the league, highlighted by 14 championships including a rare Grand Slam in 1996.
Magnolia has been in the league since 1988, carrying the familiar Purefoods banner. San Miguel Corporation became the team owner following the acquisition of the food company from Ayala Corporation in 2001.
The team has been known as Magnolia since the 2017-18 season.
A win over the Bossing will also put the Hotshots within six shy of joining their fellow SMC teams with at least 1,000 victories.
San Miguel, the last charter member of the league, has 1,489 wins while Ginebra has 1,165 compiled since its inaugural year in 1979.
A distant fourth is TNT with 788 victories since its entry in 1990 as Pepsi