Mac Belo adjusting to being a marked man

Mac Belo isn’t losing sleep over his recent dip in scoring for Blackwater.

After averaging 23 points in his first three games, the rookie only netted nine points in the Elite’s 96-85 win against NLEX.

But the Midsayap, North Cotabato native doesn’t mind as long as his team comes out victorious.

“Ok lang kasi nakuha namin yung panalo. Maganda yung outcome kasi balanced scoring kami. Yun naman ang importante eh, na nakuha namin yung panalo,” he said.

Belo also noticed that after his hot start, teams have begun to zero in on him on defense, with the Road Warriors limiting him to a measly eight shots in the outing.

“Maganda ang depensa ng NLEX at dine-deny nila ako. Noong una, medyo binabasa ko pa lang defense nila, nangagapa ako, at hinahayaan ko teammates ko gumawa kaya rin siguro mababa yung field goal ko,” he said.

Not helping Belo was his defender, Glenn Khobuntin, who he fought in numerous wars in the UAAP and has even had his number back in 2014 when the latter’s National University topped the former’s Far Eastern University in the Finals.

“Kabisado na nya ako kasi nagkalaban kami sa UAAP Finals, tapos sa Sea Games kami ang nagbabatantayan lagi. Lately lang sa 3×3, ganun din so alam na namin ang laro ng isa’t isa,” he said.

But in the eyes of coach Leo Isaac, it’s going to be important for Belo to bounce back and learn from these experiences as he develops into one of Blackwater’s top guns.

“Teams have started taking notice of him. He has been scouted so we have to make adjustments and he also has to improve his craft,” the mentor said.

Belo is aware of the pressure on him to continue improving, but what’s important to him is that the Elite finally ended their two-game skid.

“Ang importante, naka-bounce back kami sa dalawang talo namin. Hopefully, magtuloy-tuloy para maganda ang Pasko namin,” he said.

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