Character test

It looks like Tim Cone actually waited for Matthew Wright’s Hail Mary heave before allowing himself to contemplate the latest victory of his Barangay Ginebra squad.

“That shot of Matthew Wright, ano? Banda pa,” Cone said after the Phoenix Pulse gunner threw a desperation triple that didn’t look like it had a chance until it caught glass and spun off the rim.

But it was clear he wasn’t referring to that shot when he gave Phoenix the ultimate praise: That Ginebra’s 100-97 victory Sunday night was a result of the Gin Kings being able to match the Fuel Masters in an important aspect of the game.

“There’s a reason they’re on top,” Cone said. “They’re really good … For one night, at least we were able to match their character and get a win.”

Barangay Ginebra simply refused to surrender despite the seeming control Phoenix had for most of the game.

“We showed great character all game long,” said Cone. “Things weren’t going well for us. We just kept at it, kept at it, kept at it.”

And kept at it until LA Tenorio, who will be crowned the league’s new Iron Man in his next game, made the big shots that mattered and Japeth Aguilar came up with a lead-saving swat on Calvin Abueva to seal Ginebra’s fourth win in seven games.

That Cone has benchmarked Phoenix’s character for this conference speaks a lot about the Fuel Masters’ newfound identity this conference.

And it showed in the way the team carried itself after the loss.

“It wasn’t that tough of a loss. We’re not gonna let that emotionally affect us. They’re a good team and we have had a good season so far,” Wright said. “You know, more than anything, I’m trying to find the silver lining, this really prepared us for the playoffs—what the playoff atmosphere is like with the crowd, with the intensity.”

That identity will be severely tested by San Miguel Beer.

The Fuel Masters still have a shot at the twice-to-beat incentive for the playoffs, but losing the Ginebra game could haunt them because the Gin Kings stayed at three losses. If Phoenix loses to San Miguel in its last elimination round game, the Fuel Masters will be at three losses, too.

That could mean getting tied with any of the following: TNT, Ginebra, Alaska, Rain or Shine and the Beermen. Except for Alaska, four of those teams will no longer play each other—which means a Beermen win over the Fuel Masters could pave the path to a five-way tie at 8-3.

And the Fuel Masters would have lost to three of those five teams, putting them at a disadvantage in the quotient count.

But Phoenix isn’t overly concerned about that yet, proof that coach Louie Alas has shaped his team’s character well this season.

“I feel like more important than our record right now is us getting better and becoming more cohesive as a team the next couple of weeks before playoffs,” Wright said.