It was a tale of two halves for the Phoenix Fuel Masters on Saturday in their PBA Governors’ Cup opener against the Magnolia Hotshots. In the first half, they trailed by as much as 16 points as they looked outmatched. But, in the second half, they turned things around, taking the lead in the third on their way to a 98-86 come‑from‑behind win.
In the post‑game press conference, Phoenix coach Charles Tiu praised his team for getting over the hump after the halftime break.
“I think we played much better in the second half. We’re not known as the best defensive team, but we found ways to get stops, and I think it helped that we got their import in foul trouble,” Tiu told reporters. “I give credit to the guys because they woke up and played differently in the second half.”
Tiu was on point. After surrendering 53 points in the first half, Phoenix held the Hotshots to just 18 markers in the third as it turned up the heat on defense. KJ Buffen, Magnolia’s import, couldn’t stop the bleeding either, as he had to retreat to the bench for much of that quarter due to five fouls.
Charles Tiu Gives BJ Johnson His Flowers
Aside from the collective team effort, the rookie head coach also credited the team’s import, BJ Johnson, for showing out in his first PBA game.
“He found his groove a bit later on. I saw in the first half [that he] started a bit slow, but once he got the feel for the game, you know he was big,” said Tiu. “He helped us weather the storm when we were down in the first half. BJ got hot, and we wanted to keep going to him. Obviously, we got him to score, and I think the players did a good job of finding his touches. Give credit to him—he made all the big plays for us today.”
Johnson did have quite the debut, norming 34 big points and grabbing 10 rebounds as he led the way for Phoenix.
With their opening win, the Fuel Masters joined the Blackwater Bossing in Group B as early winners. Phoenix will then next take on the Meralco Bolts on July 15 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
