Blackwater sustained its elite run behind a hail of three-pointers in the crunch, upstaging titleholder Barangay Ginebra, 124-118, in overtime in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Friday night.
The Elite forced the extension play behind a booming trey by Mike Digregorio then strung up four more triples in OT as the Ever Bilena franchise stretched its record run to four games.
"I think yung character nandon na. Di bumibitaw, di bumibigay. Yun team nag-e-enjoy manalo. Sana maging habit. Sana magtuloy-tuloy," said Blackwater coach Bong Ramos.
"I know Japeth (Aguilar) wasn't there, Greg (Slaughter) wasn't there. But they're still a strong team. They're the champion team, at ang hirap kalaban," Ramos added.
Paul Zamar, Henry Walker and Mac Belo combined for the crucial triples in overtime as the Elite outlasted the Kings in a tight battle and handed Ginebra its first defeat from its Commissioner's Cup title run.
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The Kings went down to 3-1 in the season-ending tourney.
Ginebra had a chance to win the game right in regulation but Justin Brownlee missed on the drive in the dying seconds.
Brownlee came through with a three-point play to start the extension play then Zamar, Walker and Belo answered with a three-point conversion each to seize control and pave the way for another upset win following earlier surprise victories over TNT KaTropa and San Miguel Beer.
Asked whether he felt they're for real, Ramos said: "Sa puso ko, oo. Sa puso ng mga players, they're for real."
Walker fired away a total of six treys and came up with a total of 39 markers while Zamar delivered a career-high 17 points to lead the Elite over the Kings in a fierce battle marked by 21 lead changes and 11 dead locks.
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John Pinto, Belo, Poy Erram and Digregorio were four other Blackwater players who finished in double figures, hitting 15, 14, 13 and 10, respectively.
Minus Slaughter, Aguilar, Sol Mercado, Jervy Cruz and Raymond Aguilar, Ginebra coach Tim Cone rotated nine men who waged a gallant fight.
Brownlee scattered 41 points while LA Tenorio, Aljon Mariano and Jeff Chan contributed 17, 16 and 11, respectively. (SB)
The scores:
Blackwater 124 - Walker 39, Zamar 17, Pinto 15, Belo 14, Erram 13, Digregorio 10, Jose 6, Maliksi 6, Aumang 4, Cortez 0, Al-Hussaini 0, Javier 0.
Ginebra 118 - Brownlee 41, Tenorio 17, Mariano 16, Chan 14, Thompson 9, Caperal 8, Devance 7, Ferrer 6, Caguioa 0.
Quarters: 26-30, 52-55, 79-78, 110-110, 124-118.
