Ariel Vanguardia. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Phoenix head coach Ariel Vanguardia couldn’t help but watch Glen Rice Jr. put up hotter flames than the Fuel Masters could muster when they lost to TNT, 110-103, Friday in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
Rice scored 38 points to lead the KaTropa but eviscerated Phoenix for 20 points alone in the third quarter and that explosion helped TNT take an 86-79 over the Fuel Masters.
“We put multiple defenders on him, and we forced him to drive because we know that he can shoot,” said Vanguardia at Smart Araneta Coliseum. “But today he was on attack mode and we weren’t able to a good job when he attacked.”
Rice went 1-of-3 from beyond the arc and just one attempt from mid-range, and the he converted 13 of his 20 shots from inside the paint.
And if Rice got trapped inside, his next move was to kick out to open teammates for jumpers.
Vanguardia said they could’ve held on to their slim lead after the first half, 49-46, if they managed to at least slow Rice and TNT down in the third quarter.
Phoenix did score 30 points in the penultimate period, a highly respectable mark, but the KaTropa put up 40.
“TNT scored 40 points on the third and if not for that explosion in the third quarter it would’ve been better for us because we were leading in the half,” said Vanguardia whose team now sits with a 2-6 record, and riding a six-game skid.