Abu Tratter was part of the deal that sent James Kwekuteye from the NorthPort Batang Pier to the Blackwater Bossing.
Still searching for their first win of the conference, the Blackwater Bossing hope a fresh face can help them turn things around as they take on the NorthPort Batang Pier in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup this Friday, April 25.
Gametime is set at 5 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
[RELATED STORY: NorthPort acquires James Kwekuteye]
Blackwater, currently at 0-2, is coming off a tough 111-80 loss to Converge last April 13, when they struggled on both ends of the floor. This time, they’ll have a reinforcement, with Abu Tratter expected to make his debut in a Bossing jersey following a trade that sent James Kwekuteye to NorthPort.
Tratter brings much-needed inside presence and veteran experience to a youthful Blackwater core that has been eager to find consistency early in the all-Filipino conference.
Facing a 1-1 NorthPort team also integrating a new piece in Kwekuteye, the Bossing will aim to capitalize on early mismatches and clean up their defensive lapses to finally break through the win column.
With the roster shuffle in full effect, the pressure is on for Blackwater to make this reset count — and show that their rebuild is finally ready to take off.
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]