The Blackwater Elite is scheduled for a best-of-three series against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at 7:00 P.M. on July 23, 2019 live from the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
The Elasto Painters are eyeing to close the series tonight and move to the Final Four while the Elite wanted to extend their campaign and push the match to a “do-or-die” battle when the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup resumes this evening at the Big Dome.
Two days later, Rain or Shine found themselves having a (virtual) twice-to-win advantage, an elusive incentive for a team that finished as one of the top-two squads after the elimination round.
That all came true when Rey Nambatac converted his three-pointer with just 2.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 1.
Elasto Painters had a dramatic way to finish that match where they needed to make an 11-0 blast to ensure their victory.
One of the factors of that stellar come-from-behind win is their experience in playing in the playoffs.
“Mas experienced kami when it comes to the playoffs. Itong Blackwater kung baga baguhan sa playoffs, so we really have to capitalize on that advantage,” Belga said.
Blackwater’s head coach Aris Dimaunahan is on an agreement to what “Big Beau” has said.
“This is our first time to be here in the playoffs. We have some guys who have played in the playoffs like Allein Maliksi and Mike Cortez but as a whole, it’s our first time to play in this kind of a series,” said Blackwater head coach Aris Dimaunahan.
With that defeat, coach Dimaunahan is most probably has a new strategy to avoid the same mistake and hoping that he can bring his team back in contention.
“Hopefully we could make the right adjustments,” said Dimaunahan.