Basketball
In inaugural MOA Arena game, Harris gets first points, but Blakely has last laugh
PBA/Nuki Sabio
Talk ‘N Text import Paul Harris may have scored the first points in an official live basketball event at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, but it was B-MEG reinforcement Marqus Blakely who had the last laugh.
Harris scored four points to open the game, but Blakely led the Llamados to a 94-91 win with a scintillating 26-point, 20-rebound, five-steal, and four-block performance.
“Coach Tim told me that it would be interesting for us to win and tell this story to our grand kids 20 years from now,” Blakely told InterAKTV. “I love to win and this game would be more significant for us if we win.”
With top gun James Yap hurting, joining injured key players JC Intal and Joe Devance on the sidelines, Blakely had to carry the Llamados on his shoulders.
Blakely made the first dunk of the game and had the first dive while chasing for the ball going out of bounds.
After the game, he had only had great things to say about the new venue.
“This is one of the best arenas I’ve seen. I hope we could play more games here,” he said.
