RIGHT back on track.
Mahindra is back to its winning ways as it snapped its two-game losing slide with a masterful 97-88 wire-to-wire rout of ailing Blackwater in the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday.
James White was back to his steady self, tallying another double-double of 23 points and 19 rebounds for another solid showing.
This win pushed Mahindra back to solo second place with its 5-2 slate, but more importantly, it moved a step closer to clinching its first playoff berth as a franchise.
The Enforcers never trailed and led from start to finish as they turned out a methodical dominance of the Elite, leading by double-digits for most part en route to the easy win.
“We’re able to come in with some urgency and we were able to execute better compared to our last two losses,” said Mahindra deputy coach Chris Gavina.
On the other hand, this defeat was the fifth straight for the woeful Elite as it fell to the bottom with a league-worst 1-6 mark.
Senator Manny Pacquiao, the Enforcers’ playing coach, was around and made his presence felt on and of the court.
Pacquiao, who entered the game in the latter part of the second period, was actually the one that gave Mahindra its first double-digit lead, 46-36, after hitting his first career three-point field goal with under a minute left in the opening half.
He returned with under three minutes left with the game already decided and had a career-high four points in total.
Meanwhile, in respect to legendary coach Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan, who passed away last Wednesday night, the league held a ‘final buzzer’ to honor his legacy and give him a fitting tribute.
The acknowledging rite was held in between the two scheduled games yesterday.
Games Wednesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4:15 p.m. – NLEX vs. Meralco
7 p.m. – San Miguel vs. Alaska