Fuel Masters pay price for veering away from defensive identity

MANILA, Philippines—Phoenix played San Miguel Beer’s game and paid the price.

Head coach Louie Alas said his Fuel Masters tried to outgun the Beermen in a duel it cannot win instead of sticking to their strength which is on the other end of the floor.

“We thought that we could beat San Miguel in a shootout,” Alas told reporters in Filipino after Phoenix got manhandled in their Philippine Cup semis opener Saturday night. “There’s no team in the PBA that can win against San Miguel in a shootout. They’re the number one offensive team here.”

“We’re winning, we’re 9-2 because of our defense and not because of our offense. I need to remind our players what our identity is.”

Behind their vaunted defense, the Fuel Masters emerged with the best record after the elimination round.

But Alas felt that defense was nonexistent against the Beermen, who led by double-digits for the majority of the game.

Alas also said Phoenix has very limited room for error against a perennial champion in San Miguel and yet the Fuel Masters shot themselves in the foot with 20 turnovers.

“I told them, we’re facing a national team here so our margin of error is very slim. But we still had too many turnovers,” Alas said. “You can’t blink against San Miguel.”

“Plus, we also weren’t that aggressive in the second and third quarter. I told them, this is a wrestling match and if they’re more physical than we are, do not hope that you will win.”

Phoenix made its first foray in the semifinals and it showed.

Alas said it’s understandable for the Fuel Masters to experience “semifinals jitters” but added that it cannot be the case again starting Game 2.

“We now have experience playing in the semis so if we will become soft again in some stretches of the game, two to three minutes, before you know it they’re already up by double-digits,” he said.

“We need to bring our A-game defensively for 48 minutes.”

Alas hopes his squad has already learned its lesson as it tries to even the best-of-seven series on Monday night at Araneta Coliseum.