MANILA, Philippines - Barangay Ginebra braces for a Blackwater side due for a win after losing three close games when they clash tonight in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ginebra coach Jeff Cariaso expects Blackwater to get its breakthrough win anytime soon, saying: “it’s our job to make sure it’s not against us.”
“They have hardnosed players who play tough on both ends. I like their big lineup with (Jason) Ballesteros, (JP) Erram and (Bam) Gamalinda. Our bigs will be challenged,” Cariaso also said.
Ginebra, stopped by NLEX the last time out, and Blackwater play at 7 p.m. after the 4:15 p.m. tiff between Globalport and Kia, teams which are both eying a second win against two losses.
“Ginebra is strong, but we have to believe in ourselves that we can upset them,” said Blackwater coach Leo Isaac, a Ginebra stalwart in the team’s glory days under playing coach Robert Jaworski.
Blackwater’s 0-3 record could have been 3-0 as the Elite just blew away big leads in losses to the Kia Sorento and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters then lost a crack at winning their last game against the Meralco Bolts on a crucial call by the refs.
Despite the sorry setbacks, the Elite remain confident of their chances.
Before bowing to Meralco, 75-83, in overtime, the Elite came close to pulling the rug from under the Bolts in regulation play.
The Elite pulled even at 70 on a three-pointer by Gamalinda with 14.8 seconds to go in regulation, then had a chance to steal the game as Ballesteros grabbed a crucial defensive rebound with four seconds left.
Ballesteros immediately sued for a player’s timeout but the referees apparently missed it and instead ruled a jump ball between Ballesteros and Sean Anthony.
The 6-foot-7 Blackwater center won the tap but the ball went out of bounds as time expired thus sending the game into five extra minutes.
Meanwhile, NLEX threw Ginebra off with a stifling defense and completely took over the game in the payoff period in hammering out a 97-81 stunner.