The Blades trailed by as many as 10 points in the first quarter but settled down in the next period before unleashing their vaunted offensive firepower in the final half en route to posting their third straight victory.
An eight-point binge by former Manila Metrostars Alex Compton and Romel Adducul and Eddie Laure sparked the Blades’ breakaway in the third quarter while the rest shackled the Patriots’ top gunners with pressure defense.
With Stephen Antonio and Peter Martin joining the scoring attack, the Blades surged ahead, 87-70, before coasting along to the victory that tied them with the idle Negros Slashers for the lead.
Martin finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, complementing Laure’s 13 points and 10 rebounds and Adducul’s 12-point, 10-rebound effort.
Nueva Ecija, which absorbed its third straight setback, jumped the gun on the Blades early as Dave Bautista and Andy De Guzman hit their strides that saw the Patriots roaring to a 29-23 lead.
Bob Allen, a 6-foot-6 Fil-Am, suited up for the Patriots after missing their first game but struggled for only two points as he got clobbered by Adducul and Laure underneath the shaded lane.
The Andok’s San Juan Knights pulled off a 90-88 win over the FedEx Laguna Lakers in the other game. — Joey Villar