In most of their games back in the 2017 Governor’s Cup’s elimination phase, the Blackwater Elite had import Henry Walker saving them. But in the curtain-raiser of the quarterfinals, it was the ‘new guy’ who played the hero’s role.
That is, Allein Maliksi — the player whom the Elite had acquired last September 11 through a multi-player trade with the Star Hotshots.
The six-foot-four veteran gunslinger nailed a tough jumper off the curl with 9.5 seconds left to play, a shot that sent the Meralco Bolts’ win-once playoff incentive into tatters, 92-91, Tuesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.
And with that, the 29-year-old Walker — who had given the key assist to Maliksi in that sequence — was all high praises to Maliksi.
“It was just fitting that the new guy that came in and giving us that new weapon, he put it in at the end and it was a great shot. I felt more happy about that than any of my points,” lauded Walker, who finished with 30 points, 18 boards and six assists.
For the former NBA cager, what really stood for him was not just the game-winner, but the way Maliksi handled himself in the toughest of times.
“Of course it was the game-winner but just how calm he was, he was ready,” said Walker, the fourth-ranked import in the league.
“He’s just cool and confident. He’s never out of character and he’s always under control. He’s just a scorer.”
Tuesday night was truly euphoric for the Elite side. But Walker knows that they cannot rest on their laurels yet, as they anticipate a furious fightback by the Bolts this coming Thursday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“I warned the guys, they’re a championship caliber team. We just poked the bear, and if you’re from the country like I am, you gotta be ready what happens when the bear turns around,” he said.
“We better be ready or we’re gonna get whooped off the court.”
