Calvin Abueva nailed a game-winning basket in the final second to give Magnolia Hotshots a thrilling victory over Northport, 90-89, at the Don Honorio Ventura State University Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga Friday.

Down by a point with two seconds left to play, Abueva had the touch of the basketball after an inbound pass from Rome dela Rosa before evading two defenders of NorthPort for a jump shot just before the final buzzer.

It was a nip-and-tuck battle heading to the fourth frame as both teams kept exchanging leads several times.

Magnolia had a mini 5-0 run at the start of the payoff period, all from Paul Lee’s offense, for a 76-72 advantage.

Abueva protected Hotshots’ slim five-point lead until the 6:39 mark with a layup to make it 78-73. But NorthPort rallied back in the ensuing plays to equalize the match at 78 after a three-pointer by Paolo Taha.

Dela Rosa put Magnolia back on top with a 82-78 lead midway of the fourth but Sean Anthony completed his trip to charity lane for an 80-82 deficit.

Kevin Ferrer almost gave NorthPort the win after a driving layup in the final three seconds but after a full timeout, Abueva spoiled NorthPort’s upset attempt.

Ian Sangalang paced Magnolia with 26 points to go along with 10 boards, while Abueva had 15 of his own.

With the victory, Magnolia kept their hopes alive for a twice-to-beat advantage heading to the playoffs with a 7-3 win-loss record, behind second-running Meralco Bolts (6-2).

Meanwhile, NorthPort dropped to a 4-5 slate, getting a 21-point performance from Greg Slaughter and 16 from Anthony.