Safe to say, he made a good account of himself.
The San Miguel Beermen needed somebody to spread the floor in the crucial stretch heading into the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The Beermen got just that when they tapped Bennie Boatwright to replace Ivan Aska late in the elimination round.
Boatwright was good as advertised in his debut on Christmas day no less.
Though he struggle from the three-point area in his first PBA game, Boatwright nonetheless topscored for the Beermen with 26 points to go with 16 rebounds and four assists as he led San Miguel to a 117-96 win over Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters on Monday.
“The difference [between] Ivan and Bennie is Bennie has three-point shot, which makes the floor bigger for everybody,” said SMB coach Jorge Gallent.
“I think it’s gonna be hard for them (opponents) to do what they want, whether to chase Bennie or challenge his shots.”
Gallent seemed pleased with Boatwright, the team’s third import this conference.
“Bennie read the situation well today,” he said.
Help was aplenty for the USC Trojans alum, though. Terrence Romeo found his old form and dropped 22 points in the victory that formalized the Beermen’s entry into the quarterfinals.
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But with guys like seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, Vic Manuel, and Simon Enciso still out, the 27-year-old Boatwright will have to do more to keep the Beermen in the race for a top four finish, which affords a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarters.
For now, though, he will have the chance to experience the full Filipino Christmas spirit before action resumes on January 7.
(MDB)