PBA Game Breakdown: Phoenix Dismantles Titan Ultra, 109-76, with Strong Start, Even Stronger Finish

The Phoenix Fuel Masters are seemingly turning over a new leaf under new coach Charles Tiu, notching their second straight win in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup with a 109-76 beatdown of the Titan Ultra Giant Risers on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Montalban.

What Happened?

Phoenix got off to a strong start, with James Dickey III, Ken Tuffin, and Kai Ballungay scoring 15 of the Fuel Masters’ 33 first-quarter points while holding Titan to just 17. But Titan showed some fight in the middle quarters, led by import Michael Gilmore, and outscored Phoenix, 47-40, to enter the fourth just down 73-64. But Evan Nelle opened the final frame with two four-pointers, and that opened the floodgates as Phoenix put up 36 big points to Titan’s 12 for the rout.

Who Stood Out?

Ken Tuffin and Evan Nelle came off the bench to spark Phoenix, with Nelle, in particular, igniting the team’s fourth-quarter breakaway with those two four-pointers. Nelle finished with 14 points and 8 assists on top of 3 steals. Tuffin, meanwhile, had 17 markers on three triples.

On the other side was Gilmore, whose 27 points were the lone bright spot. He also had 20 rebounds and 4 steals but was also just 9-for-28 from the field and had 10 turnovers.

3 Keys to the Game

1. Perimeter play. Basketball is about makes versus misses, and Phoenix made its shots from the perimeter more than the Giant Risers made theirs. The disparity in outside sniping was particularly glaring from distance, with the Fuel Masters making 12 triples compared to the 4 of Titan. Nelle added a couple of four-pointers for good measure.
2. Bench play. Nelle and Tuffin alone nearly matched the bench production of Titan Ultra, which says a lot about the difference in bench play in this game. Put simply, Tiu had more contributors up and down the lineup as opposed to Rensy Bajar, who got only 32 points from his subs.
3. Turnovers. Between Phoenix’s defense and just straight-up carelessness, Titan committed 27 turnovers, with 17 of those coming from steals. This resulted in a 26-8 advantage for the Fuel Masters in points off turnovers and a 14-9 lead in fast-break points.

Next Up for the PBA

Wednesday, March 18, 2026 | Ynares Center Antipolo

Terrafirma Dyip vs. Blackwater Bossing (5:00 p.m.)

Meralco Bolts vs. Converge FiberXers (7:30 p.m.)