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PBA: Mahindra stuns Blackwater for first win

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/news-special1/sports/12/25/alex-mallari-122516.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Best Player of the Game Alex Mallari scored 23 points for Mahindra. Photo courtesy of PBA Media Bureau</div></figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATED) The Mahindra Floodbuster secured their first victory of the 2016-17 PBA Philippine Cup in epic fashion, outlasting the Blackwater Elite, 97-93, in overtime on Christmas Day at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.The cavernous venue proved fortunate for Mahindra as the franchise also won its first-ever PBA game at the Philippine Arena during the 2014-15 All-Filipino Cup, beating Blackwater, 80-66.They repeated the feat on Christmas Day, with Alex Mallari towing the Floodbuster to the come-from-behind victory to snap a five-game losing streak and end Blackwater&#x27;s two-game winning run. Mahindra improved to 1-5, while the Elite dropped to 4-3 and missed out on a chance to gain solo second in the league standings.&quot;I give so much credit to our players. We were down nine or 11 with seven minutes left, and I looked into these guys&#x27; eyes in a timeout, and I told them to keep believing,&quot; said Mahindra coach Chris Gavina. &quot;We were able to find the right combination today.&quot;&quot;It wasn&#x27;t necessarily our best five guys out there, but it was our best team that wound up finishing that game,&quot; he added.<ul class="op-related-articles" title="Read">	<li>READ: <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/basketball/news/2016/12/24/yap-finally-spends-christmas-home-19674">Yap finally spends Christmas at home</a></li></ul>The Elite looked to be on their way to a third consecutive win as they took a 15-point lead, 79-64, in a scintillating fourth-quarter display, highlighted by an Ael Banal floater that was generated by Blackwater&#x27;s strong ball movement.A putback by Roi Sumang off Banal&#x27;s miss put them up by 15 points with still 7:53 to go in the game, but the Floodbuster responded with a stunning 19-4 run to finish the contest and send it to overtime.A quick five-point burst, from an LA Revilla triple and a Mark Yee lay-up, cut the lead to 10 and prompted a Blackwater timeout. Rookie Mac Belo responded with a lay-up of his own to push the lead to 12 points anew, 81-69.That was when Mallari took over. He anchored a stunning 12-0 run, making mincemeat out of Blackwater&#x27;s defense for lay-ups, including the finger-roll that tied the count at 81 with 1:41 left. He missed a three-pointer that led to two free throws by Belo with 1:01 to go, but the Floodbuster simply refused to fold.Nico Salva scored on a lay-up to tie the game at 83 with 46.4 seconds left, and after a turnover by Sumang, the Floodbuster had a chance to win the game outright. However, Nico Elorde&#x27;s triple misfired, and Salva could not convert a close-range shot as the shot clock expired.Nevertheless, momentum was clearly on the side of Mahindra. In their first possession in overtime, Ryan Araña coolly drained a three-pointer for an 86-83 lead. Mallari then scored lay-ups in back-to-back possessions to push their advantage to five points, 90-85, with just 45 seconds left.Mahindra would go on to lead by seven points, 93-86, with 20 seconds left, and though Sumang scored four quick points in succession, his outburst proved too late, and Araña iced the game from the line to put the finishing touches on their first victory of the season.&quot;I think our previous struggles solidified our character for that big instant today,&quot; said Gavina. &quot;Before, we would just fold. Being down 15 in previous games, our heads would go down, our belief in each other would go down, and guys would start playing &#x27;me-ball.&#x27;&quot;&quot;Today, there was a lot of &#x27;we-ball,&#x27; and we were able to make those plays to get us back in the game defensively,&quot; he added.Mallari tied his career-high with 23 points on top of 11 rebounds and four assists, while Araña added 19 markers, seven of which came in the extra period. Salva finished with 14 points and the Floodbuster, as a team, had a 57-48 advantage on the boards.Arthur dela Cruz led Blackwater with 18 points, and Belo added 14 points and 9 rebounds. Nard Pinto had 15 points, five boards, and seven assists, but the Elite&#x27;s lack of composure in the final stretch of the fourth quarter was evident: they mustered only four points in the final six minutes of the frame.After a tight first half that saw the two teams battle to a 41-all deadlock, the Elite seized control in the third period, with dela Cruz and Ronjay Buenafe leading the way. Buenafe&#x27;s four-point play highlighted a 14-5 run that turned a 52-all tie into a 66-57 advantage late in the period.Blackwater continued pulling away early in the fourth fame, with Belo scoring nearly at will and proving unstoppable once he got to the rim. But an untimely shoulder injury to Kyle Pascual robbed the Elite of a rim protector in the final stretch, and Mallari took advantage by repeatedly getting to the cup for buckets as he helped Mahindra force overtime.<div>The scores:</div>MAHINDRA 97 - Mallari 23, Arana 19, Salva 14, Eriobu 9, Revilla 9, Yee 8, Elorde 6, Nimes 4, DiGregorio 3, Escoto 2, Ballesteros 0, Celda 0, Deutchman 0, Paniamogan 0, Webb 0.BLACKWATER 93 - Dela Cruz 18, Pinto 15, Belo 14, Sumang 12, Sena 10, Pascual 9, Buenafe 6, Aguilar 3, Banal 2, Cervantes 2, Gamalinda 2, Ababou 0, Forrester 0, Melano 0, Miranda 0.Quarter-scores: 18-18, 41-41, 59-66, 83-83, 97-93.(For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website.</a>)

(UPDATED) The Mahindra Floodbuster secured their first victory of the 2016-17 PBA Philippine Cup in epic fashion, outlasting the Blackwater Elite, 97-93, in overtime on Christmas Day at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

(UPDATED) The Mahindra Floodbuster secured their first victory of the 2016-17 PBA Philippine Cup in epic fashion, outlasting the Blackwater Elite, 97-93, in overtime on Christmas Day at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

PBA: Mahindra stuns Blackwater for first win

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PBA: Mahindra stuns Blackwater for first win

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 25, 2016 05:54 PM PHT

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Updated December 25, 2016 06:14 PM PHT

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PBA

Mahindra Floodbuster

Blackwater Elite

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