NORTHPORT has shown it could play well and win.
On Saturday, the Batang Pier also displayed their capability to emerge victorious from a bad game.
Sean Anthony came up huge in the endgame and helped NorthPort eke out an 83-79 decision over a gritty NLEX side and grab a share of the PBA Commissioner's Cup lead at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Anthony's putback and free throws inside the last 16 seconds proved to be the marginal points in the Petron Saturday Special offering and pointed the Batang Pier to a followup to their 103-81 win over Alaska last Wednesday.
The Elite joined Blackwater at the top, although the Elite can break out of that tie should they prevail over winless Columbian Sunday.
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The win is something NorthPort coach Pido Jarencio would readily accept. But not the way it was fashioned against an opponent playing without an import yet dragged his team to a grind-out game.
"NLEX team is a tough team. At the same time, coach Yeng (Guiao) is a tough coach. Mahirap din talagang talunin," was how Jarencio began the post-game presser.
"It's all about breaks of the game. Actually, me import pa, 'no? Tapos down-the-wire pa 'yung panalo. Pero I'll take it. A win is a win. Iyun pa rin iyun. Basta nanalo."
The first order of business for practice Sunday, Jarencio promised, is free throw shooting after his team missed 19 of its 34 charity attempts.
It is not only those flubbed free throws, however. NorthPort also committed 17 turnovers and shot just 31 of 90 from the field, a very far cry from its 48 percent shooting against Alaska.
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"Ewan ko, siguro... ayaw kong sab?hing nag-kompiyansa. Basta titingnan namin mga mali namin. Aayusin namin," said Jarencio.
Di kami nag-e-execute ng tama, nag-kanya-kany?, porke't walang import 'yung kalaban," added Jarencio. "Di dapat ganoon, eh. PBA ito. Dapat nag-e-execute ka, tapos mindset mo is, kung ano gameplan sundin."
Anthony did enough and wound up with 17 points and six rebounds to backstop Robert Bolick's 18 points.
Prince Ibeh was a woeful 1-of-12 from the stripes but still wound up with 15 points, 19 rebounds and five turnovers against NLEX's swarming defense anchored on Poy Erram, Raoul Soyud, Papot Paredes and Marion Magat.
Tony Mitchell, tapped to replace Curtis Washington, could have helped but failed to get his GAB license in time.
Kenneth Ighalo led the Road Warriors with 18 points Erram 12, Bong Galanza 11 and Soyud 10, but could not prevent NLEX from falling to a 0-2 record.
The Road Warriors did come close, leading by as many as 11 points in the second period and showed their grit through Ighalo's charities that knotted the count at 79, 31.8 seconds left.
In the ensuing play off a timeout, Bolick missed a corner juper, but Anthony was there to follow the shot up over the much shorter Kyles Lao for the go-ahead basket.
Whatever hopes NLEX may have had of at least tying the game vanished when Ibeh blocked Magat's jumper.
Anthony then sealed the deal with his freebies off Galanza's foul. (NC)
The scores:
NorthPort 83 - Bolick 18, Anthony 17, Ibeh 15, Tautuaa 14, Taha 10, Elorde 6, Grey 3, Lanete 0, Gabayni 0.
NLEX 79 - Ighalo 18, Soyud 12, Galanza 11, Erram 10, Fonacier 7, Tiongson 6, Paniamogan 5, Magat 4, Paredes 2, Baguio 2, Lao 2, Taulava 0, Rios 0, Tallo 0.
Quarters: 18-25, 35-43, 59-57, 83-79.
