Blackwater silences Seoul-Samsung in Super 8 play

FILE: However, Blackwater still held its ground in the latter part of the third and stifled Seoul-Samsung in the fourth, limiting the latter to only three points for most of the period, rendering it scoreless in nearly four minutes as Seoul-Samsung missed all but one of its three-balls in the final frame. (Photo: Blackwater ELITE Basketball/Facebook)

MANILA — In 2002, Lee Sang-Min drained a buzzer-beating triple to lift South Korea to the Asian Games men’s basketball finals against the Philippines.

On Tuesday night, Lee, now a coach for Seoul-Samsung, witnessed his team’s three-point shooting deserting them against a Filipino side when needed the most.

The Thunders struggled offensively and fell to the Blackwater Elite, 78-67, in their Asia League Summer Super 8 meeting at the Macao East Asia Games Dome in Macau.

Anchored on a solid game by Poy Erram, Blackwater shut down Seoul-Samsung in the fourth quarter to post its first win in the tournament.

The Elite took advantage of the Thunders’ early struggles from the deep and opened a 33-19 lead early in the second quarter.

Seoul-Samsung inched closer at halftime, cutting the lead to four, 41-37, and the KBL side thought it already got its three-point shooting going after three straight triples that eventually gave the team a 46-45 lead early in the third.

However, Blackwater still held its ground in the latter part of the third and stifled Seoul-Samsung in the fourth, limiting the latter to only three points for most of the period, rendering it scoreless in nearly four minutes as Seoul-Samsung missed all but one of its three-balls in the final frame.

Erram finished with 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting, 16 rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and two steals for the Elite, who will take on the Guangzhou Long Lions next on Wednesday night.

Toto Jose added 14 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

Kim Dong-Uk led the Thunders with 16 points, three rebounds, six assists, and three steals, but he was scoreless in the entire second half.