(PBA image)
The Philippine Cup ended not with relief but with reflection for Christian David, as Blackwater closed a bruising campaign that never quite translated effort into results.
Already eliminated from playoff contention, the Bossing bowed to TNT, 113–96, on Friday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium to cap their run in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup. It was a fitting, if frustrating, snapshot of a conference that tested both patience and belief.
“It’s been tough,” David admitted after the loss. “I feel like we made a lot of progress, but the results didn’t come. It’s frustrating when you put in the work and see improvement, but it doesn’t show on the scoreboard. We’ll go back to the drawing board again.”
The cornerstone forward tried to drag Blackwater to a morale-boosting finish, posting 13 points, seven rebounds, one assist, and a block. Still, it wasn’t enough to reverse the Bossing’s fortunes against a disciplined TNT side that controlled the game from start to finish.
Blackwater closed the all-Filipino conference at the bottom of the standings with a 1–10 record, a stark outcome made more painful by how the season unfolded. After opening the tournament with a win over Terrafirma, the Bossing stumbled through their next ten games, unable to build momentum or find consistency on either end of the floor.
For David, the slump was as much personal as it was collective. Defensive adjustments from opposing teams took their toll, forcing him to rethink his approach.
“We fell short in a lot of areas, and I wasn’t consistent with my shot,” he said. “It was hard adjusting to the defenses teams were giving me. During the break, I’ll watch film and see where I can improve.”
Despite the disappointment, David remains firm in his commitment to the franchise. The Philippine Cup may have exposed Blackwater’s growing pains, but he sees it as groundwork rather than a dead end. With the Commissioner’s Cup on the horizon, the Bossing are determined to regroup, recalibrate, and return with lessons learned rather than scars carried forward.
