By REYNALD MAGALLON
Blackwater stayed hot and torched the struggling Converge side with a masterful 90-76 victory to extend its winning streak to three in the 2024 Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, March 6.
The Bossing fired on all cylinders right from the get go, setting the tone to the rare display of dominance from the usual doormat team which now sit atop the standings with a perfect 3-0 slate.
Rookie Christian David led the way for Blackwater with 16 points – half of which he poured towards the end of the opening frame to trigger a massive 28-3 run bridging the first two frames.
The floodgates were simply wide open for Blackwater from there as the Bossing established a huge 30-point lead, 45-15, from a once tight contest, 17-12, midway through the first quarter.
Four other players finished in double-figures for Blackwater with Rey Suerte, who led the assault that kept the run going early in the second frame, finishing with 14 points built on four triples.
RK Ilagan and Richard Escoto added 12 apiece as Troy Rosario had 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Rey Nambatac, who managed to play through an ankle injury, orchestrated the well-oiled Blackwater attack with an all-around effort of seven points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Over at the other game, Robert Bolick came alive in the final frame as NLEX survived Meralco, 99-96.
Bolick fired 16 of his 26 points in the payoff period while the Road Warriors also got crucial contributions from rookie Enoch Valdez to get back into the win track and improve their record to 2-1.
Valdez finished with 12 points, six rebounds and three steals while fellow rookie Jan Nermal chipped in 11.
Struggling in the first half, Bolick got his rhythm going from the foul line with a perfect 10-of-10 including the last two that put NLEX ahead for good.
Valdez then got a crucial steal and a layup before free throws from Bolick and Anthony Semerad gave the Road Warriors a 98-91 cushion with 23 seconds left.
Meralco made a last ditch run when it generated five points in just one possession when Chris Newsome went on a 2-of-3 trip from the foul line before Allein Maliksi drained a right corner triple off an offensive rebound to come within two, 96-98.
