PHOENIX tried to roll with the punches on Friday when it played streaking Rain or Shine without an import in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The Fuel Masters got off to a fast start but couldn’t sustain the momentum in the absence of a reinforcement to suffer a third straight loss, 116-99, and slip down in Group B standings.
Coach Jamike Jarin charged everything to experience, but if there’s any consolation, its’ the effort shown by the Fuel Masters in trying to keep in step with the Elasto Painters even with an all-Filipino roster.
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It was just an unfortunate incident. Things happen like that. We just have to play without an import,” Jarin said. “We fought hard. Wala na akong masasabi sa mga locals. They really played very hard.”
Phoenix found itself in a tricky situation going to its game against Rain or Shine when replacement import Le’ Bryan Nash was measured to be over the height limit at 6-foot-6 3/8.
The Fuel Masters couldn’t reactivate original choice Jay McKinnis as the team failed to put him under the reserved list.
But as Jarin noted, there was a silver lining.
The team raced to a 25-13 lead and was dead-even with Rain or Shine at the halftime break at 55-55.
The import discrepancy however, finally became obvious in the second half especially when the Elasto Painters’ Aaron Fuller took charge by scoring 11 of his 28 points in the third quarter. Fuller finished with 22 rebounds and shot 12-of-16 from the field.
“It’s unfortunate that we need an import. It’s an import-laden conference and we didn’t have one,” Jarin lamented.
There will be one replacement coming to the country and set to play for Phoenix in its next game against Blackwater on Tuesday, assured Jarin.
“Definitely, we’ll have an import on game day by Tuesday,” said the Phoenix coach.
Team manager Paolo Bugia said the team is now finalizing details on the Fuel Masters’ next import and is taking extra precaution to assure he’ll be within the 6-foot-6 height limit in effect this conference.
He added the new import recently played in the Indonesia Basketball League.
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