Dragons torch bossing

Powell sizzler spikes 46-pt rout

MANILA, Philippines — Fire-breathing Hong Kong guest team Bay Area Dragons quickly issued a strong warning of a mighty invasion force arriving in the PBA.

Powered by Myles Powell’s 41-point sizzler, the debuting Dragons burned Blackwater to the ground, 133-87, for a flying start in the Commissioner’s Cup yesterday at the MOA Arena.

The 6-foot-2 Powell, the squad’s import for its first four assignments, ran rings against the Bossing’s defenders and converted half of his 28 attempts to provide the big spark for the debutants who ripped the game apart right in the first quarter, 36-19.

With Glen Yang (22), Zhu Songwei (13), Kobey Lam (13) and Hayden Blankley (11) joining Powell in a relentless assault, the Dragons went on to post the all-time biggest winning margin of 46 by a guest team in PBA history.

Coach Brian Goorjian’s red-hot charges, who have been based in the country since August, also handed the Bossing their worst franchise loss ever.

“We’re honored to be involved in this great league and we hope to be a great team,” said Goorjian, whose troops are looking to be the first guest entry to go all the way to the PBA diadem since Northern Cement in the 1985 Reinforced Conference.

Later, NorthPort leaned on the endgame heroics of Robert Bolick, Roi Sumang and new acquisition Arvin Tolentino to rally past Phoenix, 92-89.

Bolick hit the go-ahead triple to cap the 11-2 closing barrage started by Sumang and Tolentino, one of four new additions from Tuesday’s trade, as the Batang Pier completed their fightback from 19 points.

Powell, a former player of the Sixers in the NBA, led Bay Area’s scorching 47-of-85 field goal shooting (55.3 percent) highlighted by a 16-of-39 (41 percent) three-point marksmanship.

“Everybody’s locked in. Whatever coach asked us to, that’s what we did and it showed tonight,” said Powell, the shortest among the imports in the mid-season tourney.