The Blackwater Bossing gave the Magnolia Hotshots all they could handle on Friday but still came out on the losing end of a 107-101 decision. The loss dropped Blackwater to 3-4 and on the outside looking in at the magic four of Group B.
It was a heartbreaking loss to say the least, but Bossing head man Pat Aquino remains optimistic that his team can make it to the playoffs of the PBA Governors’ Cup.
Blackwater’s Fate Is in Its Hands
Instead of dwelling on the bad, the rookie PBA head coach looked at the bright side ahead of the Bossing’s final three games in the elimination round.
“Unfortunately we fell short, but I told the boys, there’s still three games. [Our fate is] still in our hands, ‘yung kung tutuloy ba kami sa second round or sa quarterfinals. So, just stay together and we’ll prepare well for the next game,” Aquino said postgame.
The former Gilas Women head coach also credited both his team and the Hotshots for their effort.
“We fell short definitely, [but] I still give credit to my boys that they still came out and [for] never giving up,” he added. “I know we had a lot of miscues, but as far as I’m concerned, I give credit to Magnolia. They played very well today. They were shooting a high percentage and then… credit to coach LA [Tenorio]. He made a lot of things that made us work really hard.”
Outplayed but With a Chance to Win in the End
Magnolia has been playing well for sure. Against Blackwater, the Hotshots shot 38-for-79 (48.1%) compared to 31-for-79 for the Bossing (39.2%). Magnolia also outrebounded (55-37) and out-assisted (22-17) Blackwater. The Hotshots’ second unit outplayed their counterparts as well, outscoring them heavily, 56-23.
Even then, the Bossing were still in the game with 3:18 left when they cut Magnolia’s lead to 100-97. But, as Aquino said, Blackwater just fell short. Now, Aquino and his boys need to regroup as they will next face the Meralco Bolts on Tuesday, October 13, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
