The race in Group B of the PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup remains wide open after Blackwater Bossing snapped a three-game skid with a 106-100 win over Phoenix Super LPG Fuelmasters, while San Miguel Beermen handed the Converge FiberXers a fourth straight defeat, 126-114, at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Wednesday.
Here's how Blackwater's supporting cast stepped up in the victory, and how San Miguel carved up Converge's defense.
Blackwater's complementary pieces step up
It goes without saying that Blackwater's formula starts with its stars.
Kentrell Barkley once again anchored the Bossing with 34 points and 16 rebounds while shooting 52.6% from inside the arc, and Sedrick Barefield and RK Ilagan chipped in 26 and 15 points, respectively.
But Blackwater ultimately got over the hump because of the production from the players around them, as head coach Pat Aquino has consistently emphasized role acceptance throughout the conference.
Against Phoenix, James Una and Troy Mallillin embodied that approach.
Despite averaging just 4.4 points entering the game, Una has quietly carved out a role through his work on the glass, averaging 2.2 offensive rebounds per game -- good for 10th among locals in the Governors' Cup.
The 6-foot-5 forward turned that strength into a game-changing weapon, finishing with eight points and 10 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end.
Those extra possessions became a major source of offense for the Bossing, who converted them into 14 second-chance points while overwhelming Phoenix inside, 56-30, in points in the paint.
Meanwhile, Mallillin provided the spark during Blackwater's decisive fourth-quarter push.
As the Bossing erased a nine-point deficit with a dominant 29-14 closing period, the versatile forward consistently found openings through timely cuts, smart positioning, and quick decisions without the ball.
His stat line of eight points and six rebounds in just 15 minutes told only part of the story, as his energy helped stabilize Blackwater's lineup during its biggest run of the night.
The impact of both role players was reflected in the numbers.
Mallillin posted a team-best +18 plus-minus, while Una finished close behind at +16 to underscore how Blackwater's supporting cast complemented its stars in securing the comeback victory.
George King had his way against Converge's defense
With head coach Leo Austria back to calling the shots, San Miguel wasted little time making a significant adjustment to its starting unit.
The multi-titled mentor inserted veteran floor general Chris Ross and wing Andreas Cahilig into the first five, allowing import George King to slide back to his natural power forward spot.
More importantly, it forced Converge into uncomfortable defensive matchups.
Whether it was Justine Baltazar or another big picking him up, King consistently dragged the FiberXers' frontcourt away from the paint, putting their mobility under constant pressure.
Converge's twin towers were repeatedly forced to defend in space, opening driving lanes while also creating cleaner catch-and-shoot opportunities whenever the defense was a step late on its rotations.
The contrast from San Miguel's previous outing against TNT was striking. The Tropang 5G consistently loaded up on King's drives, sent timely help defenders, and contested nearly every look, limiting both his rhythm and efficiency.
Against Converge, however, King dictated the terms from the opening quarter, facing far less resistance as he attacked mismatches before the defense could get set.
Whether it was bullying smaller defenders in isolation, attacking slower-footed bigs off the dribble, knocking down spot-up jumpers, or cutting off the attention drawn by June Mar Fajardo in the post, the 32-year-old found multiple avenues to score without ever forcing the issue.
It was his best offensive outing of the conference, finishing with 46 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists while posting an elite 70.0 true shooting percentage. He spearheaded San Miguel's decisive 37-21 third-quarter surge, combining with Don Trollano to break the game open.
BJ Johnson's best game was wasted
Phoenix made a dream start led by BJ Johnson, who posted 27 of his 45 points in the first half.
The Fuel Masters executed great movement sets throughout the game, which led to him going 7-for-14 from beyond the arc and finishing with an efficient 70.8 TS%.
However, that production faltered when Phoenix needed it most, as he was only able to add five points in the payoff period -- all of which came after the game was already decided.
Head coach Charles Tiu lamented his team's struggles late in the game.
"We forgot how to play basketball; I don't know what we were doing," Tiu said. "Mind-boggling, but, yeah, we choked, we collapsed, we sucked."