PBA: Bol dominates, TNT survives Blackwater

MANILA, April 15 ------ TNT needed a monster game from Bol Bol to fend off Blackwater, 99-94, and claim a second straight win in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Bol torched the Bossing for 48 points on 15-of-24 shooting, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked seven shots. Jayson Castro, with 10 points, was the only other TNT player in double-digits. The Tropang 5G were in control for most of the game but Blackwater made a late run behind Sedrick Barefield and import Robert Upshaw III. An Upshaw bucket and a Barefield three-pointer made it a one-point game, 95-94, with 44 seconds in the contest.

The Bossing had a golden opportunity to snatch the lead when Bol was called for an offensive foul in TNT's next possession, but Barefield's attempt from long-range was off the mark with 11.6 seconds to go. Calvin Oftana pushed the lead to three, 97-94, with an inside bucket in the final five seconds. Off a timeout, Upshaw badly misfired on a four-pointer, and Bol knocked down two charities to ice the game. It was a tough start for Patrick Aquino, who called the shots as interim head coach for Blackwater for the first time. Upshaw led the Bossing with 36 points, while Barefield finished with 12 markers.

The loss was Blackwater's third straight, dropping them to 1-5 in the conference. TNT, meanwhile, is now at 4-2.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com