BLACKWATER coach Leo Isaac delivered a cryptic dugout speech hinting he smelled something fishy after a tough overtime loss to Phoenix in the PBA Commissioner's Cup, team sources said on Wednesday.
Isaac spoke calmly but with conviction shortly after the 120-124 loss to the Accelerators dented the Elite's hopes of making the playoffs in the midseason conference.
"Look, I know my basketball. There is a good side and a bad side (to it), and I just hope that you're not on the bad side," Isaac, a nine-year PBA veteran, told his players in an emotional dugout speech, as quoted by a team staff.
[See Banal jokes after Lastimosa's 28-point game: 'Pwede ba bawiin ang trade?']
The insider said Isaac made no mention of any particular instance in a game Blackwater could've won had guard Carlo Lastimosa completed a rare four-point play with 1.1 seconds left in regulation play.
Lastimosa made a desperation three-point heave off two Phoenix defenders with a foul to boot, emerging from the play complaining of pain in his shooting hand after a fall.
A team insider bared one of Isaac's assistant coaches asked Lastimosa to be substituted prior to the bonus free throw. The player declined, the source added.
Lastimosa's potential game-winning free throw was off line and long.
The third-year guard out of College of Saint Benilde still led the Elite in scoring with 28 points, including seven scored in the overtime period.
Another source bared that Blackwater owner was so disappointed after the loss that he immediately left after the game, not even bothering to drop by the Elite dugout.
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