Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Matthew Wright nailed a stepback triple in the waning seconds as Phoenix completed an 89-87 come-from-behind win and ruin the conference debut of Magnolia Sunday in the 2018 PBA Commissioner’s Cup at Mall of Asia Arena.
The sophomore forward wiggled out of Rafi Reavis’ defense before sinking the game winner, 88-87, with 3.2 seconds remaining.
Hotshots coach Chito Victolero was then whistled for a technical foul for calling excessive timeouts, leading to Wright nailing another foul shot to give his team a two-point edge.
Peter June Simon had a chance to steal the game, but he missed his three-pointer at the buzzer as the Fuel Masters completed the fightback from 16-points down.
“Good thing that they stepped up to the challenge,” remarked coach Louie Alas as his side snapped a six-game losing skid to Magnolia dating back to the 2016 Governors’ Cup.
Wright paced Phoenix with 19 points on a 2-of-6 shooting from downtown, to go with eight assists and three rebounds.
James White recorded a double-double with his 19 points, 17 boards, and three steals, while Willy Wilson tallied 17 points and nine rebounds.
The Fuel Masters evened their record to 2-2, while spoiling the Hotshots’ conference opener.
Vernon Macklin got 25 points and 17 rebounds in his Magnolia debut, while Paul Lee saw his 20-point performance on a 5-of-8 shooting from threes go down the drain in the defeat.
The Scores:
PHOENIX 89 — White 19, Wright 19, Wilson 17, Perkins 16, Chan 6, Jazul 4, Chua 3, Intal 2, Kramer 2, Revilla 1, Alolino 0, Mendoza 0.
MAGNOLIA 87 — Macklin 25, Lee 20, Sangalang 12, Dela Rosa 10, Herndon 6, Jalalon 6, Barroca 5, Simon 2, Brondial 1, Gamalinda 0, Ramos 0, Reavis 0.
Quarters: 17-24, 45-35, 63-70, 89-87.