Ramos blasts listless Blackwater: We didn’t play with any effort

Blackwater is already eliminated in the race for a quarterfinals spot in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup but for head coach Bong Ramos that is no excuse for them to stop playing proper basketball.

Although talking in a calm and posed way, Ramos’ words ripped at his players after the Elite lost to Meralco 102-75 Friday at Mall of Asia Arena.

“We didn’t play with any effort today, it’s as if we didn’t even show up for the game,” said Ramos in Filipino. “That’s all I can say, we didn’t show anything for this game. They seemed content with their performances in our previous games and it seems they left me hanging in midair.”

The Elite settled for a disappointing 1-9 record in the conference and Ramos knows its hard for a coach to motivate players who are fighting for nothing.

“Of course it’s hard but I keep on pushing them,” said Ramos. “They displayed intensity, energy, and they were competing in our previous games but it was in this game that they went back to their old ways.”

Ramos was pertaining to games against Rain or Shine and Magnolia, two teams that are on top of the league standings.Rain or Shine sit atop the standings with a 7-1 record while the Hotshots are at fifth at 4-4.

Blackwater played with an all-Filipino crew almost the entirety of the game when Henry Walker aggravated his injury in his right shoulder against the Elasto Painters and the Elite lost by just 10, 104-94.

And although the Elite are at the bottom of the standings, they were able to stun Magnolia 86-84 after Walker’s game-winning dunk.

Ramos, whose team will play San Miguel next, said he wants his players to bounce back and remove their attitude problem for their final match this conference.

“I told them that what happened is due to negative attitude and they need to flush it away,” said Ramos. “I won’t stop teaching them, I won’t stop giving them inputs, and training them to learn. I will continue what I’m doing.”