First win felt like a championship for Blackwater players

Sunday Salvacion drives to the hoop against Ronald Tubid. PBA Images/Nuki Sabio

MANILA, Philippines — It wasn’t the championship but it sure felt like it.

That was how Blackwater players described their first ever victory since joining the PBA as an expansion team last year.

And it was no ordinary win as it was over a struggling but still lethal San Miguel side, which just lifted its 20th trophy in the league last conference.

“It felt like we have just won the championship,” said the 11-year-veteran Sunday Salvacion, who certainly knows how winning a title feels like as a key member of Ginebra, in Filipino after the 80-77 victory. “We were so happy inside the dugout. We waited for this for so long; it took us 14 games to get it.”

The Elite came into the game against the Beermen having lost 14 straight dating back to last conference where they went 0-11.

It was no different to start the Commissioner’s Cup as they dropped their first three assignments with an average loss of 14 points, including a 22-point beating at the hands of Barako Bull in the opener.

And throughout that span, second-year swingman Alex Nuyles admitted that the players had forgotten how to win.

“It was really frustrating,” said the 25-year-old Nuyles also in Filipino. “We had forgotten how to win. We were overpowered by the feeling of inferiority; whether we could still win.”

But it all changed when Kia, a fellow expansion squad, won over San Miguel, 88-78, last week.

“That gave us a lot of confidence since Kia is also an expansion team. So we thought that we can also do what they did,” Salvacion told INQUIRER.net.

Salvacion also thinks the Beermen are still groping for form after their championship run in the Philippine Cup just over a couple of weeks ago.

“Maybe they’re still not in top shape coming off that championship.”

The win put Blackwater into playoff contention and sent San Miguel at the bottom with a 0-3 record.

A major reason for Blackwater’s breakthrough win is its import Marcus Douthit, who is filling in for the injured Chris Charles. Charles is supposed to be the Elite’s import but he has yet to play this conference due to a hamstring injury.

Douthit recorded 20 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks but his presence extends beyond his numbers.

“When we lost the last game, Douthit suggested we have a team dinner,” Salvacion shared. “That helped us because we were able to talk about what needs to be done.”

“He is really playing like our ‘kuya’ (older brother). He talked to us and how are we going to get better,” said Nuyles.

Douthit, though, doesn’t want to take all the credit for the victory.

“I didn’t give the win. I was just here being part of it. The team just came together.”

And while Salvacion and Nuyles couldn’t hide their excitement after a big win, Douthit doesn’t want to get too thrilled knowing there are more games ahead.

“We just had a few tweaks that we had to do and we definitely fine-tuned it when we got to practice. But we still got a lot of work to do this is just the beginning but it definitely feels good to get that first win and get that out of the way and stop the critics of us losing, us losing.”

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