ANTIPOLO – Phoenix will have no time to rest as it plays top seed NLEX right away to kick off the PBA Governors’ Cup playoffs on Sunday at the Ynares Center.
Coach Charles Tiu said it actually didn’t matter which team the Fuel Masters face since all of those in the top 3 of Group A are stacked up.
“Kami (Group B) mas balanced ever since. So it’s going to be a tough job for us,” he said after Phoenix fell to No. 4 seed in the group after it lost to Rain or Shine, 133-103, and Barangay Ginebra dumped Blackwater.
READ Ginebra, TNT, Magnolia, SMB end up in same quarterfinal bracket
Ginebra and Blackwater finished with a similar 5-5 records, but the Kings took the No. 3 seed owing to a better quotient.
Unlike NLEX which has a three-day break prior to the quarterfinals, Phoenix only has 48 hours to prepare against the Road Warriors.
The Fuel Masters will also go to the quarterfinals having lost four of their last five outings.
Tiu will be up against NLEX rookie coach Jimmy Alapag.
“I’m looking forward to it. For me and the players, it’s how we adjust kasi I think a lot of our guys have not been in a series like this. If they’re been there naman, hindi pa sila (experienced) except for Perks (Jason Perkins),” he said.
“Kami we’ll just take it one game at a time, and maybe the guys can pull off the upset.”
Meanwhile, defending champion TNT will clash with Group B top seed Magnolia in the other half of the playoffs opener.
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