PHOENIX pulled the rug from under Barangay Ginebra, 101-93, for its second upset in the PBA Commissioner's Cup on Friday night.
The Fuel Masters got a collective effort from Javee Mocon, Sean Anthony, import Kaleb Weeson and a pair of second-round picks in Tyler Tio and Encho Serrano to pull off the win before a stunned pro-Ginebra crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
It was the second straight win for Phoenix since reports came out about the financial woes besetting the companies of team owner Dennis Uy.
"These guys just want to play it out," said coach Topex Robinson. "We always come out there with a united front."
“These guys are just playing their hearts out. We were talking earlier about quieting the noise. And they just did their job to make sure the fans are there, but not there,” said Robinson.
The Fuel Masters just did that as they finally took control of the game in the fourth period when they went on a 12-2 run to erase a three-point deficit and post an 88-79 lead.
They had their biggest lead at 96-86 at the 6:19 mark on a Tio layup.
Barangay Ginebra came within five on a Scottie Thompson three-pointer, but Phoenix held its ground and limited the Kings to just two points in the final five minutes.
Mocon topscored with 20 points, Tio added 17 and seven assists, Serrano with 16, while the duo of Anthony and Weeson both had double-doubles, with the Fil-Canadian veteran notching 14 points and 13 rebounds, and the 23-year-old import with 15 and 17 boards.
The Fuel Masters improved to 2-3 overall.
Stanley Pringle led Barangay Ginebra with 25 points including 5-of-9 from deep, while Justin Brownlee was two assists short of a triple double with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists in a game that saw the import lost his cool following a hit by Chris Lalata on the face midway in the fourth quarter.
The Kings fell to an even 2-2 record as they failed to score a fitting follow-up to their 111-93 win over the previously unbeaten Bay Area Dragons.
The scores
Phoenix (101) -- Mocon 20, Tio 17, Serrano 16, Wesson 15, Anthony 14, Jazul 7, Manganti 5, Garcia 3, Pascual 2, Lojera 2, Camacho 0, Muyang 0, Lalata 0.
Ginebra (93) -- Pringle 25, Brownlee 23, Malonzo 13, Thompson 11, J.Aguilar 7, Tenorio 7, Standhardinger 6, Gray 1, Pessumal 0, Mariano 0.
Quarterscores: 16-23; 45-48; 74-77; 101-93.