Mac Belo breaks out of slump to rescue Blackwater

Blackwater’s Mac Belo. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Mac Belo was ready when Blackwater needed him the most.

Belo averaged just 8.6 points in the Elite’s first seven games of the PBA Philippine Cup, but that became an afterthought after Friday night.

Needing a win to break their four-game skid, the Elite found a hero in Belo who dropped a season-high 22 points with eight rebounds to help them get the 106-100 win over the Dyip.

Belo, ever the consummate professional, shared the glory of his scoring outburst to his teammates.

“I thank my teammates because we executed our plays well so I got open looks and I was able to get into my off-ball offense better,” said Belo in Filipino Friday at Mall of Asia Arena.

Belo said he just kept himself ready and when Elite head coach Bong Ramos called his number, he knew he was prepared to play at an exceptional level.

“Coach always knows that I’m ready to play at this level and I’m willing to do anything to help my team win,” said Belo as the Elite improved to a 2-6 record but still stayed at the 11th spot of the standings.

“We struggled in the past games, especially myself, so I always find ways to recover and that’s because of the help I got from my coaches and teammates.”