 |
| Marqus Blakely returned to give the Elite a huge lift against his former team. PBA Media Group |
By Ivan Saldajeno
MANILA—Despite posting decent numbers for Blackwater, Aaron Fuller was given a breather on Wednesday night and Marqus Blakely took over for the team again as its PBA Governors' Cup import.
It so happened that Blakely's return came against his former team, Magnolia.
While his final statline was not as flashy as his previous games, he still walked away with his team's win.
The Elite made a stunner at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, beating no less than the defending champions, the Hotshots, 95-89.
Magnolia, which had to play all-Filipino after sitting out Romeo Travis due to an ankle injury, still put up a gallant stand despite his absence being felt in the first half, where Blackwater had control.
But the Elite kept the Hotshots at bay in the final frame to prevent them from stealing the win.
Blakely finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, five steals, and one block for Blackwater, which moved up to 2-3.
Mac Belo added 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting, four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block.
Paul Lee made 26 markers, three boards, eight dimes, and one steal for Magnolia, which fell to a tie with Columbian for fifth place at 3-3.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
.JPG)
.jpg)
