Blackwater Bossing import is not about to get ahead of himself. Even with the Bossing nailing a second straight impressive win to start off the PBA Governors’ Cup, the prolific lefty is choosing to keep things in perspective.
“We’ve been working really hard. We’ve been grinding. Every day, every day is a grind,” Barkley told Rebanse after Blackwater notched its second straight win on Friday at the expense of the Magnolia Hotshots. That followed the Bossing’s impressive debut, where they dismantled the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 131‑108.
“It’s only one game. I mean, two games. We got another great opponent, Meralco [Bolts], up next. And we just gotta make sure we try to get that game,” Barkley added. “If we get the next game, that’ll really set us up nice for the rest of the conference.”
Kentrell Barkley, Bossing Finding Ways to Win
Indeed, a 3‑0 start would be huge for the Bossing, who are aiming to make it to the playoffs for the first time since the 2022 Philippine Cup. And to accomplish that feat, Blackwater will need to keep finding ways to win—as it did against Magnolia.
“Just finding a way to win,” Barkley pointed out when asked how Blackwater survived the hard‑charging Hotshots in the fourth quarter. “You gotta have the grit. We got stops on defense. We made the right passes. I think the free throws at the second half really helped us out and were crucial. And that’s why we got the win.”
The Bossing certainly did all that, and Kentrell Barkley was at the center of it all with his 26 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 blocks. He also found a way to puncture Magnolia’s tight defense in the fourth, including on back‑to‑back possessions that turned the tide in Blackwater’s favor.
That’s two games now where the Bossing found a way to win. Kentrell Barkley and company are looking to keep up the good work.
