Games tomorrow (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4:15 p.m. – Talk n Text vs Barako Bull
7 p.m. – Kia vs Ginebra
MANILA, Philippines - It can’t be forever be bleak and black for Blackwater.
It might take an interminable wait, like two conferences and 15 games, but a breakthrough win is one Blackwater will cherish in a long, long time.
And the Elite did it in style, catching the Philippine Cup champion San Miguel Beermen off-guard to steal the win – 80-77 – in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.
Marcus Douthit provided a solid inside presence, coming through with 20 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks while Gilbert Bulawan knocked in a crucial follow-up shot with 10.6 seconds to go as Blackwater, a multi-titled team in the amateurs, shook off a sluggish start and played tough at the finish to clinch its first win in the PBA after 14 straight losses.
“It’s a moment one will really cherish,” said Blackwater coach Leo Isaac.
“It came a bit late as we’d like to taste it a lot earlier. Still, we’re very thankful. We’d like to thank the continued support of our boss Dioceldo Sy,” Isaac also said.
The Elite scored the breakthrough after 11 losses in the Philippine Cup and after dropping their first three assignments in the mid-season conference, thus, avoiding a worst slump in the league at least in the last seven years.
The all-time longest losing streak in the league belongs to Presto-Great Taste (18 games in 1980). The longest after that was a streak of 15 straight losses suffered by Welcoat in a span bridging the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
While the Elite finally broke into the win-column, San Miguel Beer remained winless since their title run in the all-Filipino tourney.
Daniel Orton just showed why he’s a top NBA first-round pick in his PBA debut, playing with much energy as Purefoods Star blasted NLEX, 87-62, to regain a share of the lead with Meralco at 4-0 later in the night.
“He just delivered a nice message for us,” said Purefoods coach Tim Cone, extremely satisfied with Orton’s initial showing.
“To be honest getting him to replace Marqus (Blakely) was a tough decision for us. We’re quite worried,” Cone also said of the 2010 NBA Draft No. 29 selection. “His skills, his size were no question. What we didn’t know is his energy and whether he would be happy to be here. He just showed he’s happy to be here and he’s happy with his teammates.”