Phoenix Super LPG is exercising utmost professionalism to the best of its abilities as the ball club has been sailing through rough seas as of late.
Head coach Topex Robinson said that the Fuel Masters are simply focusing on what they can control as the franchise became the talk of the town earlier this week following the issuance of a garnishment notice to the PBA.
According to multiple reports, Branch 14 of the Nasugbu, Batangas Regional Trial Court served several notices of garnishment on the assets of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc., and that includes its league bond.
“We don’t have control of what’s happening around us,” said the seasoned mentor. “We are professionals, and we are just acting like one.”
It sure is a tough predicament to be in but Phoenix did show that it’s staying the course when it beat NLEX, 111-97, in the Commissioner’s Cup, Saturday.
The Fuel Masters finally broke through the winner’s circle of the mid-season tilt after three consecutive losses, with rookie Tyler Tio leading the way with career-high numbers of 26 points and seven assists.
“Like what Coach Topex said, we just focused on what we can control as a team,” offered the gunslinging guard out of Ateneo, who shot five triples. “And I think the outside noise, there’s nothing we can do about it.
“So, as professionals, we just tell ourselves and our teammates to do our jobs and that’s what we did. I think we had a great week of practice and that was key to our performance today,” he continued.
It’s not just Tio alone who delivered win no. 1, with main man Javee Mocon contributing 23 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.
Import Kaleb Wesson turned in a 20-20 outing with 22 points and 21 rebounds together with seven assists, and there’s also the backcourt duo of Encho Serrano and RJ Jazul that provided 17 markers apiece.
“With everything that’s happening around us, we just kept our guts together. We made as much, the environment that we’re in, to be safe where we could express whatever it is that we could express,” said Robinson.
“There’s a lot of frustration in the last game and we just let it all out in the facility, in our practice, and we just focused on the opportunity now.”
For Robinson, going all out despite all the distractions is their way of repaying the trust and care provided by the management to the team.
“We owe it to the team also to make sure that we’re gonna fight like hell,” said the former cager, who’s in his third season as Phoenix’s head coach.
“They’ve been so good to us with everything that’s been happening even in the pandemic they stuck with us and we are just repaying what the management has been giving us. And that’s enough fuel for us to really go all out.”
Robinson added that the Fuel Masters management assured that it will take care of the outside matters ‘to the best of their ability.’
“Whatever’s happening outside, they assured us that they’re gonna take care of it to the best of their ability and we’re just repaying the management, especially Boss Dennis [Uy],” he said.
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