Guest team Macau Black Knights will finish with multiple wins in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup after eking out a 123-119 victory over the importless Blackwater Bossing on Tuesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Last night’s result meant the two teams are now tied at 2-8 at the very bottom of the standings. Both are also out of the running for a quarterfinals slot.
What Happened?
With Blackwater import Robert Upshaw III in street clothes, the Black Knights pounced early by scoring the game’s first nine points. They extended the lead to 16-3 before the Bossing showed some fight, finishing the opening frame on an 18-9 spurt to cut the lead to 25-21. Blackwater continued to keep in step with Macau in the second canto, where both teams dropped 28 points.
The Bossing crept even closer in the third, where Christian David and Sedrick Barefield combined for 18 points, while Paul Zamar and Troy Malilin added 12 for a 39-point quarter. Macau responded with 38 points of their own, led by Ramon Cao’s 10 and Jenning Leung’s 8.
Blackwater and Macau continued torching the nets in the fourth in a neck-and-neck battle that went down to the wire. The Bossing even took the lead for the first time at 114-113 on a Barefield triple, setting up a furious finish that saw Damian Chong Qui give Macau back the lead for good on his own trey at the 2:42 mark. Blackwater had a golden chance to reclaim the lead with under a minute on a Barefield three-ball, but it rimmed out.
Who Stood Out?
Macau drew big games from Leung, Cao, and Chong Qui, who combined for 89 markers. Leung actually did it all, finishing with 30 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 blocks, while Chong Qui had 30 as well on top of 6 dimes. Cao, meanwhile, had 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Christian David, on the other hand, shone for Blackwater as he tallied 21 points and 7 rebounds. Paul Zamar, David Murrell, and CJ Austria, meanwhile, sparked the Bossing off the bench, with Zamar pouring in 21 and Murrell and Austria firing 14 apiece.
3 Keys to the Game
- Starter play. Macau’s starters overwhelmed Blackwater’s, outscoring the latter 106-55. In fact, guards Leung and Chong Qui alone (60 points combined) outscored the Bossing’s starting five. Impressively, the Macau starting unit made over half their shots.
- Three-point shooting. The Black Knights are a three-point shooting team, and the treys fell on Tuesday. In all, Macau sank 12 of 30 attempts from downtown for a 40% clip, while Blackwater went just 7-for-20. That’s a 15-point difference.
- Import situation. Without Upshaw, who was sidelined by a calf strain, Blackwater lost its No. 1 option and pillar of strength. That allowed Tony Mitchell to lord it over the paint with a game-high 22 rebounds.
Next Up for the PBA
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 | Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Magnolia Hotshots vs. Titan Ultra Giant Risers (5:15 p.m.)
NLEX Road Warriors vs. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (7:30 p.m.)
