MANILA – After serving the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) for five years, Atty. Chito Salud has stepped down as commissioner of the Asia’s first professional basketball league.
”With due and respectful notice to our team owners and board of governors, I have decided to step down and relinquish my position as PBA commissioner at the end of this season,” Salud said in a press statement.
”After five years as commissioner, I believe the time is right to pass the baton to a new and fresh leadership, a fresh face with a fresh voice and fresh ideas that will take the league to greater heights,” he added.
Salud thanked the PBA family and the media for their selfless and generous support “I shall always be grateful for.”
”In the meantime, we remain focused on our task of running the league and constantly improving the quality of games we deliver to our fans,” Salud said.
Meantime, the Meralco Bolts extended their winning streak to five after Josh Davis cashed in a buzzer-beater that give the Bolts an 86-84 thriller over GlobalPort in the ongoing 2015 PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Guarded by new Batang Pier import Calvin Warner with 3.2 seconds left to play, Davis got the ball at the free-throw line and drove to the right, rising to drain the game-winning basket at the buzzer to keep Meralco unscathed after five games.
“He told me during the timeout that, ‘Coach, if you want to run a play for me, I’ll make the shot.’ And that’s exactly what he did. He won the game for us,” said Meralco head coach Norman Black. “He practices that. He has a good hook shot, a good push shot on the basket as a floater.
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Davis poured in 21 of his 33 points in the second half, including 12 in the payoff period, as well as grabbing a league conference-high-tying 24 rebounds and five steals.
Gary David also had 22 markers while Mike Cortez added 10 as the Bolts stayed at the helm with unbeaten record of 5-0.
The Bataing Pier absorbed their third loss in five games.
The scores:
MERALCO 86 – Davis 33, David 22, Cortez 10, Wilson 8, Anthony 8, Reyes 3, Hugnatan 2, Atkins 0, Hodge 0, Ildefonso 0, Sena 0, Dillinger 0, Macapagal 0, Ferriols 0.
GLOBALPORT 84 – Warner 24, Romeo 14, Ponferrada 10, Miranda 9, Buenafe 9, Pringle 6, Semerad 6, Isip 6, Jensen 0.
Quarterscores: 20-15, 38-31, 59-58, 86-84.