The Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters is scheduled for a head-to-head game against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (ROS) at 6:45 PM on November 11, 2020, live from the AUF Sports Arena and Cultural Center in Angeles City, Pampanga.
Jason Perkins, Calvin Abueva, and Matthew Wright led the Phoenix Super LPG in a comeback win over the Blackwater Elite, 100-95 on Monday.
Collectively, Perkins, Abueva, and Wright tallied 52 points, more than half of the total points scored by the Fuel Masters in their win over the Elite. Perkins rebounded 12 times, while Abueva unleashed “The Beast” in him with nearly had another triple-double, with 13 rebounds and eight assists. Wright, on the other hand, chipped in 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
The Fuel Masters had to overcome a 16-point deficit to place themselves at the second spot in the team standings with a 7-3 win-loss record.
Practically catching-up in the first three-quarters of the match, the Topex Robinson-coached Phoenix regained their form just in time to escape a defeat that could erase their chances of getting the coveted twice-to-beat advantage in the Magic 8.
In an interview, Robinson said: “We talked about accountability. Accountability is everybody’s responsibility. We have to keep our culture from who we are and what we stand for. They just kept on talking and talking and communicating and finding ways to win because they know that they are accountable to what we are trying to build here.”
With a similar goal of capturing the twice-to-beat incentive in the playoffs, the Rain or Shine would want to emulate their success over the former league-leader TNT Tropang Giga the last time out, 80-74 victory, that put practically gave them the last ticket to the playoffs.
Veteran James Yap tallied 16 points in the first half. Similarly, Jvee Mocon supplied 16 markers and 10 boards in a double-double outing, with Belga and Borboran adding 12 and 10 points, respectively.
In a post-game interview yesterday, ROS head coach Caloy Garcia said: “We’re still looking at tomorrow’s game because I think there’s still a possibility that we could still end up in the top four.”
“Sa amin we’d keep on playing lang, kung sino man, whatever is at stake. Kasi, as of now, hindi pa rin decided kung ano magiging standing. Ang maganda lang nito, last kaming maglalaro so more or less makikita namin natitirang scenario. But whatever happens, we control our destiny,” Garcia added.
“Today we were trying to maximize iyung mga beterano. Tomorrow we’ll try to maximize naman ‘yung mga rookies. Kasi, siyempre, we have to get everybody involved,” Gacia further added.
With their chances to capture the coveted playoff incentive back against the wall, expect nothing but a tug-of-war match later between the second-running Fuel Masters and the current number 8 team E-Painters.