THE Macau Black Knights will have a second straight tour of duty in the PBA.
The guest team sees action anew in the season-ending Governors' Cup, giving it a shot at redemption after a botched campaign in the second conference Commissioner’s Cup where it failed to make the playoffs.
The Black Knights’ participation was approved by the league in a recent board meeting.
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Unlike in the mid-season conference where they paraded 6-foot-8 Tony Mitchell, a former NBA player who had previous stint in the PBA, the Black Knights are expected to tap a smaller import in compliance with the 6-foot-6 height limit.
Central Michigan University product Oscar Lopez is listed as one of two Macau imports together with Mitchell.
Lopez stands at 6-foot-4 and is best remembered for being one of the five naturalized players who represented Cambodia when it played host to the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in 2023.
The Black Knights made a belated run at the playoffs spot in their initial foray in Asia’s pioneering pro league after losing their first seven outings. They finished their campaign with three wins in their five outings to end up with a 3-9 record for 11th place.
Despite falling short, Macau coach Marcus Elliot remains positive about the team being more competitive if given another opportunity to play in the league.
“We’re looking forward to seeing what’s next for us coming up,” said Elliot after the team exited with a 105-98 upset of Phoenix.
It remains to be seen though, if Macau will be retaining the same core it previously had in Damian Chong Qui, Phoenix Shackleford, Jenning Leung, and Ramon Cao.
Chong Qui, the Black Knights’ starting playmaker and top gunner, of course once left the team mysteriously in the middle of its game against the Terrafirma Dyip, which they eventually lost, 102-84.
Elliot briefly touched on the issue in the Knights’ final PBA game that saw the prolific point guard return to the lineup, but stressed the team had moved on from the situation.
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