Eugene Phelps. PBA IMAGES
Eugene Phelps breached the 50-point mark the last two times he played in a PBA tournament opener.
The high-volume scorer from Los Angeles, California, intends to sustain that streak as the Fuel Masters tangle with the Kia Picanto at the start of the import-laced Governors Cup Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
After that 4:15 p.m. opener, the Alaska Aces and the NLEX Road Warriors take centerstage with the Aces raring to break a miserable string of games after closing their Commissioner’s Cup campaign with eight consecutive losses.
They’ll bring in a familiar face in LaDontae Henton, who led the Aces to the playoffs in the previous Governors Cup, where they were sidetracked by the twice-to-beat Barangay Ginebra Kings in the quarterfinals.
Following his double-double average stint for Alaska, Henton brought his act to the NBA D-League after being picked 10th overall by the Santa Cruz Warriors. There, the former Providence standout tallied 13.2 points and 5.8 rebounds in 40 games.
The Road Warriors, meanwhile, will unveil Aaron Fuller, an undersized power forward out of University of Southern California.
Finishing the Commissioner’s Cup at the bottom of the 12-team standings, NLEX has nowhere to go but up and coach Yeng Guiao brought in Fuller early at the tailend of the previous reinforced tournament to get him battle-ready right away.
Fuller, who met the 6-foot-5 conference limit for imports despite being listed 6-6, went unnoticed in the 2013 NBA Draft and last played in the Mexican pro league.
With Markeith Cummings suiting up, the Picanto are also thrilled at the prospect of making the playoffs following a forgettable 3-8 record for an early exit last conference.
Cummings first burst into the PBA limelight by leading GlobalPort to a quarterfinal appearance in the same season-ending tournament four years ago.
The NBA D-League veteran—who also played in Poland, Egypt and, recently, Lebanon—averaged 28.7 points on 60.1 percent shooting and 45.2 percent from beyond the arc.