Macau coach not alarmed, says his Knights just trying to get PBA feel
MACAU—There’s no problem at the Macau Black Knights’ camp. At least, that’s what coach Garrett Kelly was adamant about getting across.
Following a 110-93 loss to Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Friday night that kept the Black Knights winless in three games, Kelly immediately flew back here to take part in the East Asia Super League’s Finals Summit.
And instead of flashing a defeated demeanor, Kelly was all smiles when he was asked by select reporters regarding Macau’s slow start in the import-laden conference.
“We’re doing fine,” a beaming Kelly said. “We’re learning our lessons. We had three practices together and then we played the top three teams in the first 10 days of the season. We understand that.
“We’re the guest team. We’re the new guy on the block.”
As a guest team, Macau entered the PBA Season 50’s second conference with high expectations, as guest teams that came before them had many forms of success during short stints in the PBA.
In 2023, the Bay Area Dragons finished second behind the Gin Kings in the Season 47 edition of this tournament.
Eastern Hong Kong, the last guest team to compete in the PBA, made the quarterfinals in the 2025 iteration of the same conference.
This is the slowest start by a guest team so far; naturally, concerns were raised.
Kelly, though, is not about to push the panic button, saying that his team is still in the acclimatization process, with the pace of the game and officiating being the biggest things.
“I don’t think the league was bending over backwards to make our schedule easy,” he said. “I think they probably slotted us last and said, ‘Ok, let’s make sure we take care of our home teams first and then we’ll think about Macau at the end,’ and that’s Ok.
“We knew that going into it,” Kelly went on. “Obviously, the referees are more comfortable and familiar with the local players and the local teams. We’re new. We’re a little bit smaller, a little bit undersized.”
Kelly also assured the Black Knights faithful and the PBA fans alike that they will get their rhythm soon.
