MACAO – Chiba Jets destroyed a listless Blackwater side, 109-69, and slammed the semifinals door on the Elite in the East Asia League Terrific 12 at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion on Wednesday.
The Jets scored the first six points of the match and never looked back from there as they showed no mercy against an Elite team that again played minus starters Bobby Ray Parks and Mike Digregorio and back-ups Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Matt Salem, and Mike Cortez.
The 40-point blowout was the second straight for the Elite, who finished with an 0-2 card in Group A to bow out in contention for a berth in the Final Four.
Blackwater also became the first PBA team to be eliminated in the tournament as San Miguel Beer and TnT Katropa are still very much in contention of advancing to the next round.
Although disheartened with the winless stint, the Elite considered it a learning experience which they believed should augurs well in the campaign in the season-ending PBA Governors Cup.
"Though we lost two games, we took it as we never lost, but all learning for us," said coach Aris Dimaunahan. "Comeback home, we'll do better in the third conference."
The Jets, whose biggest lead was 42 points (109-67), were led by American-Japanese Michael Parker with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while import Josh Duncan added 20.
Former Japan national team player Yuki Togashi had 13 points and seven rebounds, and three other players (Shigehiro Taguchi, Kevin Hareyama, and Gavin Edwards) finished in double figures for the Jets.
Togashi incidentally, was a former teammate of Parks with the Texas Legends in the NBA G League.
Marqus Blakely again led Blackwater with a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Alex Stepheson also submitted double-double figures of 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Diego Dario led the local side of the Elite with 10.
The scores
Chiba Jets (109) - Parker 22, Duncan 20, Togashi 13, Taguchi 11, Hareyama 11, Edwards 11, Fujinaga 7, Flippin 6, Omiya 4, Ono 3, Hara 1.
Blackwater (69) - Blakely 16, Stepheson 12, Dario 10, Alolino 8, Belo 8, Maliksi 7, Jose 4, Desiderio 2, Banal 0, Cruz 0, Javier 0.
Quarterscores: 33-19; 64-25; 82-51; 109-69.
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