The PBA D-League crowned a new champion after the Blackwater Sports Elite dethroned the NLEX Road Warriors, 80-74, in Game Two of the best-of-three finals series in the Foundation Cup yesterday at the Ynares Arena in Pasig City.
The feat was made even more impressive by the fact that the Elite had to climb their way back from an 18-point deficit in the third period against the team that has set the bar in this league over its first two years.
Rob Celiz scattered 11 of his game-high 20 points in the third quarter to set off a gallant charge.
His most telling basket came with under a minute remaining in the game as his putback gave the Elite a 76-72 lead with 41 seconds left.
Justin Chua scored 17 points, Allan Mangahas tallied 13 and 12 rebounds while Kevin Ferrer had 12 and Narciso Llagas chipped in 11 with as many rebounds for the Elite, who outscored the Road Warriors, 42-22 in the second half.
Early on, the Road Warriors went back to their dominant selves as they went ahead by 18, 58-40, after a three-point play by Cebuano big man Greg Slaughter.
NLEX appeared to have the game well under control in the third until it started missing shots and eventually lost its poise. NLEX made just 3 of 22 in the third.
Ferrer hit a 3-point shot to give Blackwater Sports a 72-68 lead with 7:34 left but Salva and Baser Amer answered with consecutive baskets to tie the count at 72 with 2:17 remaining.
But the defending champions couldn’t get the job done. Both teams went scoreless in the next 50 seconds before Allan Mangahas slipped past Amer for layup and Celiz scored on that fateful play that epitomized Blackwater’s tremendous will.
Nico Salva scored 14 points for the Road Warriors while Garvo Lanete added 12, including 10 in the second quarter.