Minus its No. 1 player and its bench down to only eight men due to injuries, NorthPort looked a sure goner against a Rain or Shine squad seeking a third straight win in the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup eliminations last week.
And the Batang Pier did flounder for three quarters before flashing what Sol Mercado later said was “some NSD spirit” that inspired NorthPort to mount a comeback for the ages and pull off a 107-105 overtime victory.
NorthPort had trailed by 25 points before cutting this down to 21 (84-63) going into the final quarter of a game where Mercado sat on the Batang Pier bench after he was traded a day earlier by Barangay Ginebra along with Kevin Ferrer and Jervy Cruz in exchange for NorthPort’s top gunner and Batang Gilas star Stanley Pringle.
With the NSD or never-say-die spirit borrowed by the Batang Pier from the Gin Kings, NorthPort managed to force extra time at 100-all behind rookie Robert Bolick and Mo Tautuaa then squeaked through despite four successive free throw misses by import Prince Ibeh in the dying seconds of overtime.
“We just kept on fighting,” said coach Pido Jarencio of NorthPort which later stayed on top with the TNT KaTropa with identical 7-1 win-loss records.
NorthPort is trying to match its first ever semifinal stint in the 2015-2016 Philippine Cup when it lost to Alaska, which later dropped the last four games of the best-of-seven title series against San Miguel Beer.
With his three Ginebra recruits combining for 53 points Saturday, NorthPort whipped Blackwater, 127-99, with the Elite again playing minus an import as new reinforcement Jameel McKay failed to secure clearance to play on time.
The KaTropa, whose only loss came from the Batang Pier with Pringle firing a game-high 22 points in the 110-86 victory, earlier turned back the Columbian Dyip, 109-102.
The Elite also took a 127-106 whipping from the San Miguel Beermen when their original import Alex Stepheson missed the game last week with a bum stomach, but they managed to cling to third place at 5-3.
Magnolia moved up to fourth at 3-2 after rolling back Phoenix, 99-96, followed by Alaska at 4-4 and defending champion Ginebra at 3-3. SMB and Rain or Shine stood at 2-3. Now scrambling to stay alive are Meralco (3-5), Phoenix (2-4), Columbian (1-5) and NLEX (1-6).