Phoenix snatched the spotlight away from Calvin Abueva by taking down NorthPort, 118-107, in a clash between eliminated teams in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup on Wednesday night at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
The ‘Beast’ was the center of attention for finally making his Batang Pier debut since being traded by Magnolia in a deal centered on William Navarro just last week.
However, the Fuel Masters refused to become a footnote.
RR Garcia hit a crucial bucket to widen the gap after the opposition got within 84-83 early in the fourth, before the others came in to start the pullaway.
Kai Ballungay, Kenneth Tuffin, and main man Jason Perkins put together the 11-4 run toward a 104-91 lead approaching the game’s last five minutes.
(C) PBA Images
‘Perk’ didn’t even stop there, scoring seven straight points just moments later to push the spread to 113-95 with 2:22 left to play — all but sealing the deal for a Phoenix side that went on to nab just its third win of the conference.
“We had two games left before this one, and we wanted to come and be professionals,” offered head coach Jamike Jarin. “We’re happy we got the win, and the most important thing now is to still work hard and improve.”
Perkins top-scored for the Fuel Masters with 26 points and eight rebounds. Ballungay, on the other hand, made 17 points and eight rebounds.
Tuffin supplied 14 points and five assists. Ricci Rivero also had 14 points while RJ Jazul chipped in 10 markers as the two led the bench support.
And together, they left a Batang Pier squad that not only reeled to their eighth consecutive defeat but a deflated bunch as well after failing to give the two-time BPC a winning welcome in his first game with his new home.
(C) PBA Images
Abueva was one of the only few bright spots in the loss as he finished with 18 points, alongside seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
Top-scoring for NorthPort was Joshua Munzon, who had 32 points and seven rebounds. Damie Cuntapay added 15 points, spiked by three triples.
Phoenix’s win was also dedicated to JC Cullar, who lost his father a day before the game but still went on to play, finishing with four points and four assists.
“He said, ‘My dad would love to see me play,'” Jarin said. “He got the earliest flight after our game. I just salute him for that. If I was in his position, I wouldn’t even be able to move. You have to give a lot of credit, a lot of heart, to JC.”
The Fuel Masters will look to end their season on a winning note when they face another also-ran team in Blackwater on June 13 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The Scores:
Phoenix 118 – Perkins 26, Ballungay 17, Tuffin 14, Rivero 14, Jazul 10, Tio 9, Verano 8, Garcia 5, Soyud 4, Cullar 4, Manganti 3, Ular 2, Camacho 2, Daves 0, Alejandro 0.
NorthPort 107 – Munzon 32, Abueva 18, Cuntapay 15, Flores 9, Bulanadi 8, Jalalon 7, Nava 6, Balanza 4, Taha 3, Kwekuteye 2, Yu 2, Nelle 0, Onwubere 0
Quarterscores: 30-28, 56-51, 82-80, 118-107.
