Phoenix Fuel Masters’ Jason Perkins in the PBA Philippine Cup. –PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—The PBA Philippine Cup—as the name suggests—is bannered by teams who will boast their all-Filipino lineups for the conference’s championship.
It goes without saying that last conference, the Fuel Masters relied heavily on import Johnathan Williams III to carry them to the tournament’s semifinals before bowing to Magnolia in four games.
With Jason Perkins being primed to be the anchor for Phoenix in place of import Williams, the big bodied bruiser said he feels no pressure being a presence in the paint for coach Jamike Jarin.
SCHEDULE: 2024 PBA Philippine Cup
“There’s a chip on my shoulder but it’s not on anybody else. It’s on myself. I’ve been here a while so I want to be able to help my teammates… I don’t feel any pressure but if I do feel it, I like it. I like those moments,” said Perkins after their 94-78 win over Terrafirma at Philsports Arena on Wednesday.
Perkins finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists to finally push Phoenix into the win column after three games for a 1-2 record.
However, Perkins admitted that he doesn’t feel like he’s the team’s go-to guy, considering the Fuel Masters are backed by “talented players.”
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“I don’t see myself as a go-to guy or anything because we have a lot of other guys who can score. It’s not like I’m forcing shots, we’re just moving the ball and playing team basketball. That’s something we emphasize in Phoenix, high assist ratings.”
“I think there’s other things I can do other than score. I can play defense, rebound, be a team player and cheer for our players. We have other talented players like RJ (Jazul), RR (Garcia), Javee (Mocon), (Ken) Tuffin, we have a lot so I don’t feel any pressure that I have to carry.”
In the young season, Perkins is currently averaging 21.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.