Blackwater’s EASL dream
Blackwater team owner Dioceldo Sy recently disclosed that his dream is for the Bossing to represent the PBA in EASL’s inaugural season where a $1 million purse awaits the champion. But to make it as one of two PBA teams to battle in EASL, Blackwater has to go all the way to the finals of the PBA Philippine Cup. It’s a tall order for a team that posted a forgettable 1-21 record last season. But Sy isn’t the type to wallow in the past. He likes to think ahead and think big. So far, Blackwater’s on the right track with a 5-2 record and four games left in the elims. The Bossing faces Rain or Shine today then NLEX on Friday, Converge on July 20 and Magnolia on July 22.
“We still hold our destiny,” said Blackwater coach Ariel Vanguardia. “If we sweep our last four, we’ll move up to 9-2 and we could end up top two depending on how San Miguel Beer and Ginebra finish. If we end up between No. 3 and No. 6, we’ll take our chances in a best-ofthree. First is to beat Rain or Shine and we want to vent our frustrations in losing our last game.”
The Bossing is coming off a heartbreaking 110-107 overtime loss to San Miguel last Sunday. Vanguardia said the breaks went San Miguel’s way but Blackwater showed its mettle. “There were two lulls that broke our momentum and gave San Miguel about six minutes to catch its breath,” he said. “Our game plan was to tire them out then press in the fourth. Without the lulls, I think San Miguel had little left.”
Vanguardia noted that Blackwater almost beat San Miguel despite being called for 33 fouls compared to the Beermen’s 18 and taking 32 less free throws. “We took them to OT,” he said. “Even with the disparity in fouls and free throws, we could’ve won. Baser (Amer) was called for traveling when he was bumped twice late in regulation and if he shot the penalty free throws, we would’ve won. But it was breaks of the game.”
Sy said EASL is a motivation not only for the team but also the players. “Our mission is to be in EASL and I told the players they’ll be rewarded as Asian scouts will recruit them and I’ll be most happy to let them go for greener pastures because they came from Blackwater,” he said. “In our team building, I gave an emotional speech and Jvee Casio mentioned in more than 10 years in the PBA, a team owner joined. Against San Miguel, we were down 21 in the fourth quarter and we forced OT. We’re no pushovers, we’re for real. Facts and numbers don’t lie. I can hear PBA fans cheering for us. I’m sure the Bossing will come back even stronger.”