Surprising Fuel Masters try to sustain pursuit of Comm’s Cup leader

Jason Perkins (with ball) has stepped up as Phoenix’ new leader. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Phoenix Super LPG and San Miguel Beer stake their respective winning streaks in a PBA Commissioner’s Cup double-header this Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum, with the Fuel Masters seeking to sustain their surprising run against a Terrafirma crew battling to gain respect.

That game is slated at 4 p.m. with the Dyip to come in full force after being sent back to earth last week after their two-game winning streak was halted in the worst way possible, 133-93, by TNT.

The Fuel Masters are working on a two-game winning run of their own and coach Jamike Jarin knows that they will be up for a tough fight with Belgian bruiser Thomas de Thaey (groin) and Juami Tiongson (flu) returning for the Dyip.

Jason Perkins, meanwhile, and import Johnathan Williams III have been leading the Fuel Masters, who are running second at 3-1 overall with unbeaten Magnolia setting the pace.

“That only shows how much we care for each other—and that’s how we are, how we’re building it, that’s how we’re going to be in the remaining games,” Jarin said after a 111-106 triumph over Blackwater last week that featured five locals finishing in double-digit scores on top of an all-around effort from Williams III.

“You can’t get to the playoffs with just three wins, so the work continues,” said Jarin, the former interim coach who was formally given the keys to the club just before the season.

Tiongson, Terrafirma’s leading local scorer, has been at the forefront of a campaign that the franchise is using to “change their narrative” of being whipping boys this season. They are at 2-2 and with better weapons this time after tapping Stephen Holt No. 1 overall in the Draft.

Looking for No. 3

Meanwhile, the Beermen will try to annex a third-straight win against winless Rain or Shine in the nightcap set at 8 p.m.

The 2-1 powerhouse squad will try to bury the Elastopainters in an even deeper hole, but the blue-collar crew will try to pin its hopes of getting out of a four-game slide with new import Demetrius Treadwell, who joined the team on Sunday, leading the way.

Treadwell comes in for DaJuan Summers, the former Detroit Piston in the NBA, who wasn’t much help in the first four games for Rain or Shine.

The arrival of Treadwell hopes to address coach Yeng Guiao’s main concern of having a fearsome inside presence, something that Summers wasn’t able to give.

And Treadwell will have his work cut out for him as he goes up against the double-double tandem of seven-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo and import Ivan Aska. INQ