PHOENIX Super LPG fell short of a maiden appearance in a PBA Finals, but it wasn't a total loser.
The Fuel Masters drew an army of new admirers for their admirable run in the PBA bubble, which saw the team overshadow some of the league's established teams with a great combination of grit and hustle.
With Matthew Wright providing the firepower and the reinstated Calvin Abueva the energy, Phoenix finished the single-round eliminations tied with Barangay Ginebra for the league's best record at 8-3 then needed just one game to oust seventh seed Magnolia in the quarterfinals.
The four-year old franchise even took a 2-1 lead over TNT in their best-of-seven semifinals but wavered in the final two games as the Tropang Giga's defense, depth, and experience weighed heavily in the deciding Game 5.
Although the Fuel Masters fell a win short of the finals, not a few believe that this team has just put the league on notice.
Sol Mercado is one of them.
The veteran free agent took to Twitter to praise what he described as a 'resilient group who took on the characteristics of its coach.'
Others shared the same sentiment:
Phoenix veteran JC Intal was proud of what the team had achieved.
On the other hand, Topex Robinson had this to say in his first conference in charge at Phoenix.
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