Calvin Abueva unleashed anew the beast inside him as Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters got back at TNT Tropang Giga, 110-103, Friday night to tie at 1-1 their PBA Philippine Cup best-of-five semifinal series at the Angeles University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center.
Abueva, along with Jason Perkins, spearheaded Phoenix’s resurgence against the no. 1 ranked Gin Kings. Abueva tallied 20 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and two steals while Perkins scored a team-high 21 points, nine of which were scored in the final four minutes that saw Phoenix regain control of the lead at 94-92.
“It’s always a joy to see Calvin be a different ‘Beast’ now. He know that Matt’s not 100 percent, and he just kept promising that when he wasn’t around, Matt was there for him and now nawala si Matt, siya naman babawi,” said Robinson.
Justin Chua added 18 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks, while three others scored in double figures for Phoenix despite ace scorer Matthew Wright playing just 15 minutes after injuring his right ankle in the early moments of Game 1.
TNT relied heavily on Bobby Ray Parks, who topped all scorers with 41 points, with ten triples. However, this fell short as Phoenix answered back with balanced scoring from the Topex Robinson head-coached Fuel Masters.
With the win, Fuel Masters bounce back from a 95-92 loss in the best-of-five opener last Wednesday.
Phoenix vs TNT Tropang Giga
Quarters: 28-27; 60-45; 86-60; 110-103.
The scores:
Fuel Masters (110) – Perkins 21, Abueva 20, Chua 18, Jazul 16, Garcia 12, Heruela 10, Mallari 9, Wright 2, Rios 2, Intal 0, Marcelo 0, Napoles 0, Gamboa 0.
Tropang Giga (103) – Parks 41, Enciso 14, Pogoy 13, Erram 10, Rosario 10, Castro 9, Washington 4, Reyes 2, Semerad 0, Montalbo 0, Carey 0.