ANTIPOLO – Rey Nambatac had 27 points and 10 assists in his Blackwater debut to lift the Bossing to a 96-93 win over Meralco on Wednesday at the start of the PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center.
Nambatac preserved the Bossing win with two free throws with 19.5 seconds left following a late charge by the Bolts as he put a fitting end to an auspicious debut for the Bossing, who acquired him in an offseason trade with Rain or Shine.
Blackwater held on just long enough after nearly squandering a 19-point lead in the wake of a shooting spree by Meralco veteran Allein Maliksi.
James Yap also played his first game with Blackwater, finishing with five points including a three-pointer.
A nine-point spree from Nambatac and Yap gave Blackwater an 86-67 lead before Maliksi drained four threes that cut the deficit to one point, 94-93.
“We were able to maintain it just enough,” said Blackwater coach Jeff Cariaso. “You can only expect that from a veteran team like Meralco. You expect them that they will always come back. They have the players and the experience, and handle situations like that.”
Troy Rosario chipped in 15 points, while Rey Suerte tallied 11 for the Bossing, who snapped a 10-game losing skid that dated back to the Commissioner’s Cup where they also opened the conference with a win only to lose all their remaining games.
Maliksi poured in 27 points on 5-of-6 shooting from threes for the Bolts, who also got 16 points from Chris Newsome just three days after playing for Gilas Pilipinas in the Fiba Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers.
The scores:
Blackwater 96 – Nambatac 27, Rosario 15, Suerte 11, Hill 10, DiGregorio 9, David 7, Escoto 6, Guinto 5, Yap 5, Jopia 1, Ilagan 0, Kwekuteye 0, Sena 0.
Meralco 93 – Maliksi 27, Newsome 16, Black 10, Mendoza 10, Jose 10, Hodge 6, Banchero 5, Quinto 3, Torres 3, Bates 3, Caram 0, Pasaol 0, Pascual 0.
Quarters: 18-26; 43-41; 72-62; 96-93.
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