PBA: NorthPort gives life to playoffs bid, edges Blackwater

NorthPort Batang Pier’s Arvin Tolentino in the PBA Philippine Cup. –PBA IMAGES

NorthPort got it together just in time to avert disaster on Saturday, staying in the hunt for a playoff spot in the PBA Philippine Cup.

Arvin Tolentino hit a step-back, go-ahead jumper with around seven ticks left at Caloocan Sports Complex to will the Batang Pier to a 115-113 victory over Blackwater and give the young squad a fighting chance for a quarterfinal berth.

NorthPort thus improved to a 5-6 win-loss mark, barely making it to the qualifying threshold. The Batang Pier’s triumph also sealed Barangay Ginebra’s place in the next round while bundling out Phoenix from the race.

READ: PBA: Northport still believes its quarterfinals chances

Tolentino wound up with 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Joshua Munzon, Damie Cuntapay and Zav Lucero all chipped in at least 14 points in the effort that nearly went for naught.

Blackwater, behind Troy Rosario’s 33 points and Christian David’s season-best 26, clawed out of a 19-point rut to make things truly interesting in the dying moments of the contest.

Rey Nambatac had 10 and one last look to complete the comeback for the cosmetics club, but his desperation triple was off the mark.

With its hopes of advancing now hanging by thread, Blackwater now gird for the mighty and unbeaten San Miguel and then Phoenix.

PBA Scores:

NORTHPORT 115 – Tolentino 27, Munzon 16, Cuntapay 15, Lucero 14, Yu 11, Rosales 7, Chan 7, Flores 6, Zamar 5, Navarro 5, Bulanadi 2

BLACKWATER 113 – Rosario 33, David 26, Chua 11, Nambatac 10, Casio 9, Kwekuteye 7, Hill 5, Suerte 5, Guinto 4, Ilagan 3, Sena 0, Escoto 0, Jopia 0, Tungcab 0

Quarterscores: 32-30, 66-48, 88-81, 115-113.