Sunday action at the Ynares Center in Antipolo concluded with another stunner, this time with the Phoenix Fuel Masters giving their own coach, Willy Wilson, his first official win in the PBA via a 109-103 upset of the defending Philippine Cup champions San Miguel Beermen. With the win, Phoenix leveled its record to 1-1, while San Miguel dropped to 0-2.
What Happened?
Phoenix played inspired ball, while San Miguel seemed to be sleepwalking for most of the game. The Beermen looked like they were ready to assert themselves early in the third, starting it off with a 15-4 run to retake the lead, 66-65, after falling behind by double digits in the second. But the Fuel Masters answered with a 14-4 closeout of the third quarter to take an 82-74 cushion to the payoff period. Phoenix extended it to 102-87 with less than six minutes left in regulation and was still ahead, 105-90, when the Beermen cut it down to 105-101 in a last-ditch effort that fell short in the end.
Who Stood Out?
Ricci Rivero was superb and Evan Nelle was solid for Phoenix. Rivero finished with a team-high 16 points on top of 7 rebounds and 3 assists, while Nelle put up 9 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, and 1 steal. Tyler Tio also came up clutch, delivering 8 fourth-quarter points to help the Fuel Masters’ cause.
On the other side, June Mar Fajardo muscled his way to a 19-point, 22-rebound double-double to go along with 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Don Trollano and CJay Perez added 18 and 17, respectively, off the bench but were just 13-for-30 from the field.
3 Keys to the Game
- Patience, patience, patience. Phoenix, with Nelle doing the quarterbacking, ran their sets patiently and got quite a few good shots, including several layups. It’s no wonder the Fuel Masters shot 58% from two-point range and 46.3% overall.
- Phoenix’s bench mob. Phoenix got plenty of production off the bench beginning with the backcourt of Nelle and Rivero. Other Fuel Masters who stepped up were Prince Caperal, who hit three treys in the first half; Matthew Daves, who contributed 7 points, 5 rebounds, and lots of energy and hustle; and James Kwekuteye, who was a +13 for Phoenix.
- San Miguel’s lack of urgency. As already mentioned, it appeared like the Beermen were sleepwalking for stretches at a time. When they picked up the intensity at the start of the third, they easily wiped out Phoenix’s lead. The urgency seemed to drop off again, and by the time San Miguel showed more of it, the game was out of reach.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA takes its golden season back to the Smart Araneta Coliseum for a guaranteed slam-bang Wednesday. The Blackwater Bossing will take on the Meralco Bolts in the curtain-raiser, while the TNT Tropang 5G will face off with the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the nightcap.
Blackwater vs. Meralco | TNT vs. Ginebra
