Mahindra import feels blessed to be around global boxing icon Manny Pacquiao

JAMES White still feels giddy playing alongside Mahindra head coach and boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao. 

"It's a blessing. Every time I'm around him, it's a blessing," White said of the Filipino pugilist. 

Indeed, Pacquiao's presence alone energized the Enforcers, who drubbed Blackwater, 97-88, to tie Ginebra at second place in the standings of the PBA Governors' Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum on Sunday. 

Pacquiao finished with a career-high four points, including a contested three-pointer in the second period that rocked the Big Dome.

"Even when he went to the scorers’ table, he brought in energy, got the crowd involved. I guess that’s what the PBA needs," said the reinforcement, who topscored for Mahindra with 23 points and collared 19 rebounds. 

With the win, Mahindra snapped a two-game skid and tied with Ginebra sporting identical 5-2 win-loss records. 

"Basketball is a game of wins and losses, everybody can’t be Golden State and set records," said White, whose team won four-straight before the two-game slide.

"As a team, we understood that there will be bumps in the road and we just gotta overcome that, and that’s what we did," he added.