Fuelmasters survive Batang Pier to stay in playoff hunt

MANILA, Philippines — Phoenix contained a late gutsy run by GlobalPort to escape with a 104-100 win and remain in contention for a 2018 PBA Philippine Cup playoffs spot, Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Ahead by as many as 31 points, the Fuel Masters saw their lead reduced to just four with 22 ticks leftin the game clock.

A returning Terrence Romeo proved to be the biggest thorn to Phoenix's side, as the hotshot guard led the Batang Pier in scoring with 20 points. Stanley Pringle and Yousef Taha added 16 and 12 points, respectively.

But the Fuel Masters won’t be denied.

The cushion was all thanks to Matthew Wright’s hot shooting—which accounted translated to 32 points. Jeff Chan split his free throws before a whirlwind sequence at 6.8 seconds sent RJ Jazul to the charity stripe for two shots, which he both drilled.

A trey via Romeo from the left side would’ve made things more cardiac, but his shot was off target.

“Sabi nga ng mga kaibigin kong coaches, a win is a win, but we have to learn from [this],” he said of the near-collapse. “Kung hindi malaki yung lead namin, baka andoon ako sa kabilang side.”

“At least maytsansa pa,” Alas closed.

Phoenix’s bid for a quarterfinals ticket remains up in the air,as game between Barangay Ginebra and Rain or Shine remains to be played as of posting time.

"Sarado pa naman Boracay ngayon, wala pa kaming pagbabakasyunan. At least may tsansa pa," Alas said in jest. "Tapos 'yung prayers namin, against millions na nagpepray kasi Ginebra gusto nila eh. Palakasan nalang ng dasal."

The Batang Pier, for their part, have virtually locked their place in the playoffs.

A win by the Gin Kings later in the night will place the Fuel Masters in a playoff tussle against Blackwater for the last slot, while a victory by the Elasto Painters will send them to seventh place.

The Scores:

Phoenix (104): Wright 32, Chan 18, Alolino 10, Jazul 10, Wilson 9, Kramer 8, Perkins 7, Eriobu 4, Mendoza 4, Intal 2, Cortes 0, Guevarra 0

GlobalPort (100): Romeo 20, Anthony 17, Pringle 16, Taha 12, Elorde 12, Grey 9, Gabayni 7, Guinto 6, Flores 1, Sargent 0, Juico 0, Teng 0, Nabong 0

Quarter scores: 32-16, 63-45, 86-67, 104-100