KJ Buffen delivered a rare 20-20 showing to lead Magnolia past a hard-fighting Blackwater, 107-101, to notch their fourth straight win in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Friday evening.
The athletic winger finished with 24 points and 20 rebounds, coming through with crucial hits down the stretch to help restore order after the Bossing came back from 13 down and got to within three, 100-97, with 3:15 to go.
He first went perfect from the free throw line, and then knocked down a big trifecta to widen the spread to 105-97 with 2:10 remaining—a good enough cushion to survive another fightback attempt by the opposition afterward.
Buffen’s efforts seemingly rubbed off on his teammates, with young winger Chris Koon coming through with a massive steal on opposing import Kentrell Barkley when the latter hauled down the missed jumper by Jerom Lastimosa.
The crew as a whole prevented Blackwater from getting any closer when they cut the gap to 105-102 through sheer defensive grit, and Lastimosa would go on to seal the deal by going 2-for-2 from the line with 3.6 seconds left.
