Fresh legs, energy carry young Elite team

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net

Standing at 6-foot-8, JP Erram is well aware of the four-inch difference he is giving up to Ginebra behemoth Greg Slaughter.

But what couldn’t be measured was his heart in Blackwater’s 94-77 win on Friday as he took on the Gin Kings’ giants and came out victorious.

“It’s really a huge confidence booster for me because Greg and I were teammates before and now that we’re opponents, I was able to get a win over him,” admitted Erram, who posted 22 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks.

Erram, though, had ample support from his fellow undersized yet hardworking frontcourt players like Mac Belo, Raymar Jose, James Sena, and Dave Marcelo which allowed him to deliver the stellar showing.

“We just stuck with coach’s system because we couldn’t stop them individually. My teammates helped me in a lot of ways. I was sealing Greg and we were crowding the paint so that Greg and Japeth would have a hard time penetrating,” he said.

For Erram, that’s just the kind of fight everyone should expect from the Elite, saying they may be smaller compared to the powerhouses, but they will remain relentless on the 48 minutes they are on the floor.

“We’re the more aggressive team. The young guns are unpredictable and we won’t stop putting in the effort. We have fresh legs and we still can improve on a lot of things,” he said. “This is our chance, and now that we’re given that, we’ll take it because we have nothing to lose here.”

Blackwater returns to the court on Wednesday against TNT.