Elite topple Beermen, gain 2nd win
Games on Sept. 19 (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 4:30 p.m. – NorthPort vs Blackwater 7 p.m. – Phoenix vs Meralco
Henry Walker and John Pinto figured in an altercation late in the first quarter but patched things up in time as Blackwater pulled the rug from under San Miguel Beer, 103-100, for a second straight win in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.
Walker churned out a sterling stats line with 35 points, 17 rebounds, seven steals and five assists while Pinto delivered his own solid all-around game with 15 markers, nine boards and seven dishoffs as the Elite made it two in a row following a 104-98 win in overtime over TNT KaTropa on Aug. 24.
Mike Digregorio contributed five three-pointers and a total of 21 points while Poy Erram, fresh from his Jakarta Asiad stint, chipped in 10 markers and nine boards as Blackwater handed San Miguel a sorry loss after a winning conference debut against NLEX (125-112) Saturday.
“We saw a verbal clash among our players as we lost an early nine-point lead. It’s because emotions were high as our guys wanted to win badly,” said Blackwater coach Bong Ramos.
“I talked to Henry at the halftime break, telling him we needed his complete focus on the game. He saw it for himself
pag medyo nawala siya sa focus, naiiwan
kami,” Ramos added. Working together as a cohesive unit, the Elite outfought the Beermen at endgame and thus already surpassed their Commissioner’s Cup showing (1-10) just in their second game in the season-ending tourney.
“We’re able to play defense well, and that’s the game plan. We felt if we can play defense and stay close, we can pull an upset. And this is a big upset,” said Ramos.
After blowing away their early ninepoint lead, 25-16, the Elite regained the upper hand at 86-85 on clutch baskets by Walker, Erram and Paul Christian Zamar to start the fourth quarter.
Then Blackwater gallantly hung on all the way to the finish, taking the lead to stay at 98-92 on seven unanswered points of Pinto, Digregorio and Walker.
The Beermen actually still had their chances to send the game into overtime but AZ Reid and Arwind Santos missed a three-point attempt each in the last 30 seconds.
“We’re also lucky they’re missing June Mar Fajardo. It’s a big break for us,” said Ramos.
Minus Fajardo, Reid and Christian Standhardinger paced the Beermen with 26 and 20 points, respectively.
Japeth Aguilar fired away 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, and Barangay Ginebra weathered NorthPort’s determined chase from a 19-point deficit, pulling off a 104-98 win in the nightcap.
“Japeth had key shots in the end and it got us over the hump,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone of Aguilar’s endgame exploits that kept the Kings unbeaten from their Commissioner’s Cup title run.
Meanwhile, Greg Slaughter has submitted pertinent documents making a possibility his frontcourt team-up with Christian Standhardinger on the Gilas Pilipinas team that faces off with Iran in Tehran on Sept. 13.
Gilas team manager Butch Antonio, however, said they’re still awaiting formal approval from FIBA on the eligibility of Slaughter as a regular Filipino player.
If Slaughter is approved by FIBA as a regular player, national coach Yeng Guiao is to tap Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle as the naturalized players – Standhardinger against Team Iran and Pringle in the Phl-Qatar game in a closeddoor venue in Manila on Sept. 17.