Blackwater Bossing senior guard Jvee Casio during a PBA Commissioner’s Cup game against the Phoenix Gasoline Masters. –PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—Forced to play without imported star George King at the last minute, Blackwater turned to its all-Filipino team to get the job done.
Fortunately, Blackwater had plenty of veterans to turn to as the next man up.
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This time, coach Jeff Cariaso selected veteran guard Jvee Casio and delivered with the team’s 100-92 victory over Gasoline Masters to keep a playoff bid alive in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
READ: PBA: Playing without import, Blackwater beats Phoenix to stay alive
“We get along. He was our leader tonight. He’s the veteran we need every night. Tonight, he stepped up not only with his leadership off the court but on it as well. You have to give him credit,” Cariaso said.
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“At an import conference, it is always more difficult when there is no import. We didn’t know until 30 minutes before the game that he wasn’t going to play and that was already a pain for us.”
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King was ruled out of Tuesday’s clash with a foot injury he suffered in Bossing’s last game, where they lost to Converge, 127-109.
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READ: JVee Casio accepts new challenges in Blackwater
That’s where Casio’s contributions were vital, as he had 14 points, five assists and two steals in 31 grueling minutes, a far cry from his usual conference average in terms of exposure.
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As a 14-year veteran of the league, Casio is already well aware of his limited minutes with Blackwater.
So when he was called up for double duty in Antipolo with the team’s import absent, the 38-year-old did what he did best.
“I’m ready every time they call my number. That’s my job. This time I had minutes and I took advantage of that opportunity,” Casio said in Filipino.
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Blackwater looks to end its conference on a high note, with Casio leading the way Saturday at the same venue against Northport.
