MANILA: On paper, Phoenix Petroleum is the weakest side Mahindra has faced so far in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
That’s only on paper.
The Fuel Masters on Friday night rallied from 20 points down in the first half to pull out a 100-94 victory over the Enforcers, dealing Mahindra its first loss in the tournament and doing what more formidable sides failed to accomplish in the first three weeks of the season-ending conference.
Cyrus Baguio provided the veteran leadership for the Fuel Masters in the fourth quarter and Mark Borboran came off the bench to hit some crucial shots in the stretch as Phoenix won a second straight game and rose to 2-3.
The Fuel Masters ended the Enforcer’s Cinderella run at four games and dropped Mahindra into a second place tie with idle Barangay Ginebra at 4-1.
TNT KaTropa thus zoomed to the solo lead without breaking a sweat and is now the only undefeated side in the tournament.
Eugene Phelps didn’t have the same monster offensive night he had in his debut, but was effective all game and went on to pace the Fuel Masters with 23 points and 21 rebounds.
Phoenix trailed, 14-34 early in the second period after starting lethargically, before shaking off some over-eagerness and slowly clawing its way back in the game by working hard on both ends.
“I think I screwed up the first half by pressuring my guys too much (coming into the game),” rookie coach Ariel Vanguardia told reporters after taking part in the celebrations in the dugout and catching his breath.
“They became tight, but they overcame the pressure (in the second half).”
Phelps cramped up for a good stretch in the fourth quarter, and the Fuel Masters needed Baguio at his best to stem the tide for Phoenix.
Baguio, the 36-year-old veteran whom Phoenix traded for with Alaska just days before the start of the conference, hit seven points in the fourth and set up Borboran for a four-point play with 1:51 remaining that gave the Fuel Masters a 93-90 lead.
Phoenix would protect that lead until the end, with Baguio making the last of his 22 points off an 18-foot jumper for 95-92 going into the final 1:14.
“That’s the value of Cyrus,” Vanguardia said in praise of the 6-foot-2 swingman, who is now playing for the fourth team in his career after having memorable stints with Red Bull, Barangay Ginebra and the Aces.
“He was a veteran presence in there and led the team in making the right decisions.”
James White, a big reason why the Enforcers had that 4-0 start, was held down to just 24 points and 12 rebounds, clearly his worst game.
“We were able to shut him down when we needed to,” Vanguardia explained.
Meanwhile, Henry Walker lived up to a promise he gave NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez on Thursday and led the Road Warriors to an 88-85 decision of Star in the nightcap.
Walker finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds and was big in the stretch for Fernandez, who gave his import a hug at centercourt moments after the final buzzer had sounded and NLEX’ three-game losing streak coming to an end.
“I just thanked him because he told me (on Thursday) that he had my back,” Fernandez told reporters when asked what he told Walker. “He played really hard today.”
Garvo Lanete hit nine points and together with Walker, made all but six of the Road Warriors’ points in the fourth period. Lanete, a rookie out of San Beda College in the NCAA, finished with 15 points.
New Star import Joel Wright scored 12 in the first period and finished with 28, but those weren’t enough to save the Hotshots from losing a third straight game and dropping to 1-4 overall.
That’s only on paper.
The Fuel Masters on Friday night rallied from 20 points down in the first half to pull out a 100-94 victory over the Enforcers, dealing Mahindra its first loss in the tournament and doing what more formidable sides failed to accomplish in the first three weeks of the season-ending conference.
Cyrus Baguio provided the veteran leadership for the Fuel Masters in the fourth quarter and Mark Borboran came off the bench to hit some crucial shots in the stretch as Phoenix won a second straight game and rose to 2-3.
The Fuel Masters ended the Enforcer’s Cinderella run at four games and dropped Mahindra into a second place tie with idle Barangay Ginebra at 4-1.
TNT KaTropa thus zoomed to the solo lead without breaking a sweat and is now the only undefeated side in the tournament.
Eugene Phelps didn’t have the same monster offensive night he had in his debut, but was effective all game and went on to pace the Fuel Masters with 23 points and 21 rebounds.
Phoenix trailed, 14-34 early in the second period after starting lethargically, before shaking off some over-eagerness and slowly clawing its way back in the game by working hard on both ends.
“I think I screwed up the first half by pressuring my guys too much (coming into the game),” rookie coach Ariel Vanguardia told reporters after taking part in the celebrations in the dugout and catching his breath.
“They became tight, but they overcame the pressure (in the second half).”
Phelps cramped up for a good stretch in the fourth quarter, and the Fuel Masters needed Baguio at his best to stem the tide for Phoenix.
Baguio, the 36-year-old veteran whom Phoenix traded for with Alaska just days before the start of the conference, hit seven points in the fourth and set up Borboran for a four-point play with 1:51 remaining that gave the Fuel Masters a 93-90 lead.
Phoenix would protect that lead until the end, with Baguio making the last of his 22 points off an 18-foot jumper for 95-92 going into the final 1:14.
“That’s the value of Cyrus,” Vanguardia said in praise of the 6-foot-2 swingman, who is now playing for the fourth team in his career after having memorable stints with Red Bull, Barangay Ginebra and the Aces.
“He was a veteran presence in there and led the team in making the right decisions.”
James White, a big reason why the Enforcers had that 4-0 start, was held down to just 24 points and 12 rebounds, clearly his worst game.
“We were able to shut him down when we needed to,” Vanguardia explained.
Meanwhile, Henry Walker lived up to a promise he gave NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez on Thursday and led the Road Warriors to an 88-85 decision of Star in the nightcap.
Walker finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds and was big in the stretch for Fernandez, who gave his import a hug at centercourt moments after the final buzzer had sounded and NLEX’ three-game losing streak coming to an end.
“I just thanked him because he told me (on Thursday) that he had my back,” Fernandez told reporters when asked what he told Walker. “He played really hard today.”
Garvo Lanete hit nine points and together with Walker, made all but six of the Road Warriors’ points in the fourth period. Lanete, a rookie out of San Beda College in the NCAA, finished with 15 points.
New Star import Joel Wright scored 12 in the first period and finished with 28, but those weren’t enough to save the Hotshots from losing a third straight game and dropping to 1-4 overall.
