PBA action resumed on Wednesday after Sunday’s games were postponed. Opening hostilities at the Ynares Center were the Terrafirma Dyip and Phoenix Fuel Masters, who were both looking to notch their second win in this PBA Philippine Cup and maybe improve their chance of getting to the top eight. After 48 minutes, it was Phoenix that came away with the victory, routing Terrafirma, 107-76, for their second win against five losses. Terrafirma, in contrast, absorbed their fifth straight defeat and fell to 1-6 for the conference.
What Happened?
Phoenix started strong, racing out to a 37-20 advantage after one. Terrafirma showed some signs of life in the second to cut the lead somewhat to 58-47 at halftime. But Phoenix built an 84-68 cushion going into the fourth quarter and totally dominated the final 12 minutes of the game en route to the victory.
Who Stood Out?
Kai Balunggay was a man among boys in this one, starting off 6-for-6 on his way to a team-high 19 points on top of 12 rebounds and 1 block. Ricci Rivero, playing against his brother Prince for the first time ever in the PBA, added 16 points and 6 boards off the bench for Phoenix.
For Terrafirma, it was a struggle nearly all game long, though Paolo Hernandez was a silver lining as he finished with 14 points. Louie Sangalang had his moments en route to a 13-point outing on 6-for-10 shooting.
3 Keys to the Game
- Defense. Phoenix buckled down on that side of the floor, holding the Dyip to 30.8% shooting overall and just 29.2% from the arc. The Fuel Masters, in particular, marked Terrafirma’s main gunners, limiting Jerrick Ahanmisi and JM Bravo to 2 and 3 points, respectively, on a combined 2-for-12 from the field.
- Interior scoring. Most of Phoenix’s 37 first-quarter points came in the paint, with Balunggay, in particular, attacking the interior with ferocity. In all, the Fuel Masters scored 56 points inside as opposed to just 32 for Terrafirma.
- Strong start. Phoenix has mostly played catch-up in their previous losses, but this time around, the Fuel Masters flipped the script. They started out red-hot and built a lead. Then, they extended it, particularly in the second half.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA Philippine Cup takes the action back to the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday with another slam-bang twin bill. Opening the action will be the Blackwater Bossing and Magnolia Hotshots in a battle of league leaders and bottom dwellers. The nightcap will feature Barangay Ginebra San Miguel taking on the Converge FiberXers in a battle of early-season favorites.
Magnolia vs. Blackwater (5:15 p.m.)
Ginebra vs. Converge (7:30 p.m.)
