By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Blackwater Bossing franchise finally grabbed their first win in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup after dominating the import-less Meralco Bolts, 114-98, on December 12, 2024, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Blackwater capitalized on the absence of Meralco’s reinforcement DJ Kennedy who had to be sidelined due to a recurring injury.
Without the presence of Kennedy in the shaded lane, Blackwater’s daredevil duo of Sedrick Barefield and import George King attacked the Meralco interior at will and capped off the fourth quarter with a huge run that helped the Bossing pull away for good.
It was still a single-possession ball game in the final eight minutes of the fourth before Barefield and King took over. From a three-point game, Barefield kicked off their momentum-changing run with back-to-back perimeter jumpers before their import knocked down a trey and completed a fast break play that ballooned their lead.
Unfortunately for the Bolts, their offense suddenly went cold despite having open looks from the three-point territory and allowed Blackwater to blow the game wide open in the most crucial stretch of the fourth.
With only 2:44 remaining in the game, four consecutive points from Barefield and King ballooned Blackwater’s cushion to 14 points, putting their squad in a favorable position with time on their side.
Aside from the star duo, Christian David, Blackwater’s stretch big man, also provided much-needed baskets midway through the third and during their massive fourth-quarter run.
Barefield top-scored all of the players with a new season-high 33-point production and also tallied a near double-double when he clinched nine assists and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, the ever-reliable King produced a double-double outing of 32 markers and 14 rebounds while David added 17 points.
On the other hand, the all-local Meralco crew received 22 points from their star, Chris Newsome, but Kennedy’s absence hurt them in the paint, allowing the Bossing to score most of their fourth-quarter points off aggressive drives to the basket.
Blackwater will look to ride on their momentum and pick up their second straight win on December 15, 2024, against the San Miguel Beermen while the Bolts will have almost a month of rest before returning to the PBA hardwood on January 14, 2024, against the NorthPort Batang Pier.
