Petron Blaze opened its title retention bid with a bang, holding off a second-half charge by Powerade before prevailing, 97-83, at the start of the PBA Governors Cup Sunday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
Import Edward Basden made an impressive debut with a double-double performance and proved to be a right fit for a Boosters squad which has gotten stronger and looks primed to defend its crown. The former Chicago Bull finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, capping his all-around performance with five straight points in the midst of the Tigers rally. His three-pointer and a bucket inside the final 2:29 of the game gave the Boosters a 91-77 lead.
From there, there was no looking back for Petron Blaze, which joined Rain or Shine quickly in the win column.
(Courtesy of Eurobasket.com)