No tomorrow

Mac Belo PBA IMAGES

Mac Belo was selected first overall in the Draft by Blackwater, the PBA’s perennial whipping boy, to turn the fortunes of the Elite around.

On Friday night, Blackwater will be playing in the biggest game of the franchise’s young history.

Coach Leo Isaac, a former hard-nosed guard who has had his share of glory and triumphs as a player, is hoping that Belo comes out as the talent he is touted to be—for several reasons.

“He (Belo) is the barometer of the team,” Isaac said after wrapping up preparations for Blackwater’s 7 p.m. KO match with traditional power Rain or Shine for the last playoff slot in the Philippine Cup. “Whenever he plays well, it seems like he takes the rest of the team with him.

“We have prepared hard (for this game) and we actually didn’t stop practicing because we were waiting for a scenario like this one,” Isaac went on. “I just hope that Mac plays well, that they all play well.”

This winner-take-all match became possible when the Elasto Painters dropped their last four games, an 89-94 squeaker at the hands of Alaska on Wednesday capping that skid.

The prize for winning this game would be a pairing with defending champion San Miguel Beer in the quarterfinals, where either the Elite or the Painters would need to beat the Beermen two straight times to march on.

“That would be a big opportunity for us, to play them (Beermen) in the playoffs,” Isaac said. “Who knows what could happen?”

Though the Painters will come into this game as the hands-down favorites, having manhandled the Elite in their only elimination round clash here, 107-93, Isaac is putting the belief on his players that this game could be won.

And that, Isaac thinks, is a very vital element coming into the game he said is “easily the biggest game for the Blackwater franchise.”

“We beat GlobalPort and Alaska, two teams that defeated Rain or Shine,” Isaac said. “So there’s no reason why we cannot beat this team.”

Belo was good as advertised in his first few games, being the yardstick among rookies with terrific all-around numbers.

He cooled down in the second half of the elimination round, though he easily remains to be the best in his class despite what the numbers say.

Belo, though, missed two full practices because of a slight left knee injury, a friction syndrome which Blackwater trainers said could be aggravated. He has returned to full active status and will be ready to go, according to Isaac.

This game is also big for the Painters, who are in their first full season under Caloy Garcia and are seeking to continue a proud tradition that Yeng Guiao put up in the last six years.