Belo’s return bodes well for Blackwater in crucial stretch

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Mac Belo allayed fears of  another long-term injury, saying that he no longer feels any discomfort on his left knee.

“I no longer feel any pain. I don’t feel much tightness anymore,” said Belo, who is recovering from an ITB injury which caused him to miss Blackwater’s last game against San Miguel.

Belo didn’t show any signs of unease when he suited up in the Elite’s 95-76 win over Kia on Friday.

The sophomore forward poured eight points, three rebounds, and two steals in his 15 minutes on the floor, efforts which helped to boost his side’s belated run to the playoffs in the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup.

With Blackwater at 4-5, Belo knows how crucial these last few games are for them as they seek to claim those last spots in the quarterfinals.

“Every game is a must-win for us. That’s our mindset because we have an opportunity if we win our last games, we have a chance to get to the playoffs,” he said.

Fortunately, these last two outings have delivered nothing but good news for Blackwater, with huge victories over San Miguel and Kia giving it a much-needed shot in the arm going into its final two games against NLEX and Phoenix.

“Those wins were huge because we gained confidence. We’ve been playing well, our teamwork is there, we’re getting balanced scoring, and everyone is contributing,” he said. “We’ll just give our all in our final games.”

The Elite take on the Road Warriors on Sunday at Philippine Arena.