PBA: George King fires 64 points, Blackwater wins to end campaign

Blackwater import George King during a game against Rain or Shine in the PBA Governors’ Cup.–PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines– Already out of playoff contention, Blackwater still found a way to put on a show on Monday with a 139-118 rout of Rain or Shine to wrap up its PBA Governors’ Cup.

Import George King delivered 64 points that went with 13 rebounds to help the Bossing to a 5-5 win-loss mark, missing a spot in the crossover quarterfinals to NLEX, who had superior quotient.

“Last night, NLEX took care of business and we didn’t the other night so they (Road Warriors) deserve to be there (in the quarterfinals),” head coach Jeff Cariaso said.

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“The challenge in tonight’s game was to come out, play the game, respect the game and show the kind of character we had. And I can’t say enough [about] how they played.”

Rookie Sedrick Barefield added 21 points in the effort that should manufacture momentum for Blackwater heading into the next conference.

Jhonard Clarito, Anton Asistio, import Aaron Fuller and Caelan Tiongson all finished with twin-digit scores as Group B’s top-ranked ElastoPainters settled for a 7-3 card, their next opponent the Magnolia Hotshots in a best-of-five duel that gets going at the same venue this Wednesday.

READ: PBA: George King hopes Blackwater’s rise leads to more fans

King’s 64 points are the most points scored by a Blackwater import. Tony Harris set the league record among imports with 105 points back in October 10, 1992, when he played for the Swift Mighty Meaties—then coached by Yeng Guiao—in a road game against Barangay Ginebra.

“I know that I’m probably gonna play 40 minutes tonight, let’s see what I’m made of. I told myself that,” King said of his milestone. “I had like a look-in-the-mirror moment before the game. ‘What are you made of? What’s in you? Let’s find out. Let’s see what’s in you. Let’s see what you got.’”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be in this situation ever again in my career where I’m able to take the type of shots that I do and I said if I’m never in this situation again, I don’t want to have any regrets. And so, I left my home, where I’m staying, with that thought, ‘Let’s find out what you’re made of tonight.’ And that was my motivator tonight for me,” he added.