Nash Racela wins on his PBA return as Blackwater complete fightback over NorthPort

Blackwater gave Nash Racela its winning return to the PBA, after bucking a sluggish start to stun the NorthPort , 96-89 to close out Day 2 of the Philippine Cup bubble Monday evening at the AUF Gym in Angeles, Pampanga.

Two years since his last game on the sidelines, the former FEU mentor leaned on the total team effort to overturn their first-half struggles in their opening win, with the Elite firing a 41-point third quarter to hold off the Batang Pier.

Forward Don Trollano and guard Roi Sumang put up 17 points apiece for Blackwater, with the former completing a double-double after pulling down 10 boards. 

Aside from Sumang, Mac Belo helped the bench's cause as he pitched in 16 markers of his own, and the fifth-year franchise had a total of 52 points coming from their second unit.

Christian Stanhardinger's game-high 23 went up in smoke for last season's Governor's Cup semifinalists.

Blackwater struggled in the opening stages of the game as NorthPort started with a 9-0 run, leading by as much as 11 early in the first canto, en route to a nine-point lead at the break.

But a huge 41-point third-quarter, 25 of which came from Belo, Trollano and Sumang, put the Elite on the stead in which they held off the Batang Pier's last stand as their victims could not breach the four-point barrier in the dying stages, with the former UE stalwart took the ball away from Kevin Ferrer as Ed Daquioag virtually put the game away with a clear path to the cup with 28 seconds remaining in the contest.

The scores:

Blackwater 96 -- Trollano 17, Sumang 17, Belo 16, Daquioag 13, Magat 8, Tolomia 8, Desiderio 4, Canaleta 3, Dennison 3, Salem 3, Golla 2, Shaw 2, Dario 0, Gabriel 0

NorthPort 89 -- Stanhardinger 23, Anthony 22, Lanete 14, Nabong 7, Elorde 7, Taha 5, Manganti 3, Ferrer 3, Subido 3, Cruz 2, Revilla 0

Quarter scores: 21-25, 38-47, 79-65, 96-89

PHOTO: PBA