Arvin Tolentino of NorthPort.–PBA PICTURES
Arvin Tolentino and NorthPort are hoping their 114-87 win over NLEX in the opening game of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup will bode well for their quest for a return to the playoffs.
“That’s the goal,” Tolentino said after overcoming a scoreless first quarter and a minor injury to score 29 points in Thursday’s Batang Pier triumph at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
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Tolentino’s individual brilliance has not translated into a significant number of wins for NorthPort, which narrowly missed the top eight of last season’s Philippine Cup and won just three of 10 in the group stage of this year’s Governors’ Cup.
Now NorthPort appears to have gotten lucky for the third time, relying on Tolentino and freshman Kadeem Jack, who had 25 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win.
Jack was signed at the last minute after NorthPort initially signed Kavell Bigby Williams.
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“I think it’s definitely feasible for us to reach the quarterfinals,” Tolentino said. “We came up short in the last two conferences, but hopefully we can do it this time.”
NorthPort won after trailing by 16 in the first quarter and turned it around in the second quarter behind Tolentino and Jack, as well as other locals like Evan Nelle, who despite going scoreless, had seven rebounds and eight assists.
However, another important factor was that Batang Pier held its former franchise star Robert Bolick to just three points, setting a career low.
Import Michael Griffin-Watkins’ 29 points and 19 rebounds for the Road Warriors weren’t enough to avoid a disappointing setback at the start of the midseason tournament.
Taken to hospital
Meanwhile, at press time, the nightcap between Magnolia and Blackwatrer was marred by an injury that required the Hotshots’ Calvin Abueva to be hospitalized after a collision with the Bossings’ Cedric Barefield.
Abueva suffered neck spasms and fell to the ground for several minutes before paramedics took him out of the venue on a stretcher and into a waiting ambulance.
Magnolia opened the tournament with returning Ricardo Ratliffe, the former South Korean naturalized player who has been out of the PBA since 2017.
Blackwater, meanwhile, brought George King back for another tour of duty as the Bossing began life without Troy Rosario.
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Rosario signed with Barangay Ginebra after his contract with Blackwater expired at the end of the Governors’ Cup.