Phoenix Pulse, Columbian set sights on playoff berth

After picking up wins on Wednesday night, Phoenix Pulse and Columbian are setting their sights on the PBA Philippine Cup playoffs—and the road won’t be easy.

“This was hard,” FuelMasters coach Louie Alas said of the match against NothPort which they narrowly captured, 98-96. “But Friday is going to be harder—that’s for sure.”

Phoenix (6-1) faces Alaska at 7 p.m. at MOA Arena with a victory, Alas said, allowing the Fuel Masters to plant “a foot into the next round,” aside from allowing them to share the top spot with Rain or Shine—the only team that has defeated Phoenix so far.

Columbian has a longer path to the next round but that hasn’t dampened the optimism of Dyip mentor Johnedel Cardel.

“We have four more games,” said Cardel after his team’s 86-85 win over the Meralco Bolts. “[We are taking it] one game at a time.”

The Dyip’s first test will be the Blackwater Elite, who now sits at the bottom of the conference with a 1-6 card.

“It’s a winnable game,” Dyip skipper Rashawn McCarthy said.