PBA on Tour: David Murrell’s dunk lifts Blackwater past NLEX

Blackwater Bossing’s David Murrell during a PBA on Tour game vs NLEX Road Warriors. –PBA IMAGES

SAN JOSE DEL MONTE, Bulacan—David Murrell scored a go-ahead dunk as Blackwater edged out NLEX, 109-107, to begin the PBA On Tour exhibition series on Wednesday here.

Murrell came through after the Road Warriors lost the ball leading to a breakaway slam with 30.2 seconds that eventually spelled the difference as the Bossing won their only game for the On Tour caravan.

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It was one of five rim-rattlers made by Murrell, who is the league’s last Slam Dunk Champion back in 2023.

NLEX had a chance to either salvage a tie with a basket or go for the win on a three-pointer or a four-point shot, but Evan Nelle and JL Capulong missed from close range as time expired.

Blackwater emerged victorious before a big crowd at City of San Jose del Monte Sports Complex in a game that was part of this city’s celebration of the annual Tanglawan Festival.

Both teams played minus their imports, although NLEX’s Deonte Burton was on the bench but couldn’t play with Blackwater’s Kentrell Barkley still out of the country.

Also out were their players currently in Japan for Gilas Pilipinas for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games: NLEX star Robert Bolick and Blackwater’s flashy guard Sedrick Barefield.

Several key players also sat out in NLEX’s Kevin Alas and Blackwater’s CJ Austria.

The Road Warriors will have another game in the exhibition tour on Sept. 19 against Magnolia in Batangas City.