ANTIPOLO—Coach Leo Isaac was looking for a bounce-back from his Blackwater crew and got something he didn’t really expect.
Two days after losing horribly, and a day after making a blockbuster trade, the Elite flaunted their best form yet and dealt KIA Picanto an ugly beating, 118-97, Friday night that enhanced their playoff chances in the PBA Governors’ Cup at Ynares Center here.
“I expected a bounce-back, but not like this. I am mildly surprised,” Isaac said after the rout. “While reviewing the tape [of our last game], I noticed that we lacked the energy and I asked the players to play with energy tonight.
“I got that from them from both ends of the floor,” he went on. “I told them after the game that if we play with the same kind of energy, who knows how far that will take us in our last three games.”
GlobalPort snapped TNT KaTropa’s two-game winning streak with a 119-112 victory later in the night, climbing to a level 3-3 card in the process.
Stanley Pringle scored 30 points and had eight rebounds and import Murphey Holloway had 24 and 17 as the Batang Pier dealt the Texters their third loss in seven games.
The Elite established franchise marks in points scored in a quarter, 40 to open up against the Picanto, and 70 in a half, for a 39-point lead going into the third as Blackwater rebounded from a 117-96 loss to TNT KaTropa to rise to a level 4-4 card and stay in the playoff hunt.
“We are very positive of our playoff chances,” Isaac said. “We will face whatever challenges are in front of us in our last three games. The team is ready.”
Chris Ellis and Dave Marcelo, Blackwater’s new acquisitions from Barangay Ginebra in a trade completed on Thursday, did not see action yet.
Isaac said that he asked Ellis and Marcelo to report for practice on Monday and the duo, who enjoyed respectable playing time while with defending champion Barangay Ginebra, will have to earn their minutes with the team.
Ellis and Marcelo will have some form of motivation with the Elite’s next game slated against the Gin Kings on Friday.
But the old reliables were there for Isaac, with import Henry Walker shooting 25 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and issuing seven assists in just over 36 minutes as Isaac found the luxury of giving the NBA veteran some rest with the lopsided outcome.
JP Erram had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Mike DiGregorio started out at the point to finish with 16 after making all of his five attempts from beyond trifectaville.
KIA, meanwhile, all but bowed out after taking its eighth straight loss even after parading a new import in Geron Marquis Johnson, who scored 28 points but had nine of the Picanto’s 19 turnovers.
Meanwhile, San Miguel Beer parades new import Terik Bridgeman against slumping Alaska in a Petron Saturday Special Game at 5 p.m. at AUF Sports Arena and Cultural Center in Angeles City.