Payback time for Bossing

MANILA, Philippines — Embarrassed in their last faceoff, Blackwater jumped at the next opportunity to make tormentor Rain or Shine red-faced.

Over three months since their infamous 56-point beating from ROS, the Bossing got their revenge in the form of a 131-108 romp in the PBA Governors’ Cup last night at Ynares Center-Montalban.

The payback mission was led by import Kentrell Barkley, who introduced himself to Pinoy fans by recording a brilliant 29-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double debut.

A former MVP in the Indonesian league, the 6-foot-5 Barkley started the fire with his 18-point opening barrage spiked by a 4-of-4 clip from three-point territory, lifting the Bossing to a 36-25 separation.

Sedrick Barefield (24), RK Ilagan (22), Dalph Panopio (19), James Una (12) and Abu Tratter (11) joined the fray to help Blackwater get back at a ROS squad that handed them a record-breaking 151-95 loss back in the Commissioner’s Cup elims last March.

Coach Pat Aquino maintained it’s more about embracing a winning attitude than dealing the Elasto Painters a humiliating loss.

“I know it’s at the back of our minds but I think that’s the past already,” said Aquino, who wasn’t at the helm yet when Rain or Shine put the franchise on the wrong side of history.

“I know we had to prepare well against Rain or Shine, try to be aggressive from start to finish and I think we did that.”

Aquino lauded his troops for their efforts.

“Just happy that everybody stepped up, everybody played with their mindset of winning the game and they never gave up. Hopefully, this good start will continue,” he said.

With this 23-point win, Blackwater recorded its largest margin since the franchise’s all-time best 37-point rout of Terrafirma in the 2022 Philippine Cup.  The Bossing likewise handed the E-Painters their worst defeat since bowing to Ginebra in the previous Commissioner’s Cup elims, 90-114.