Phoenix Super LPG is finally living up to its name, catching fire in a way it hasn’t in years. The Fuel Masters stayed red-hot and unbeaten in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup on Sunday, surviving a furious late rally from an injury-hit Barangay Ginebra squad for an 81-78 win at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, July 19.

The victory improved Phoenix to 3-0 for the first time in a long time.

Fuel Masters Ambush Ginebra Behind Johnson, Rivero

Robert Johnson continued to be Phoenix’s driving force. Ricci Rivero kept building on his breakout form.

Together, they powered the Fuel Masters to three straight wins to open the conference. The victory over Ginebra followed earlier statement wins over Magnolia and Meralco, cementing Phoenix as one of the conference’s early surprises.

“We wanted to try to catch them off guard as it’s their first game in the conference and they’re playing with a new import. We tried to step on the gas,” said Phoenix coach Charles Tiu.

The win doubled as payback. Ginebra was the team that eliminated Phoenix in the quarterfinals of the last Commissioner’s Cup.

Johnson finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Rivero added 16 points and nine boards. Kai Ballungay and Jason Perkins chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively, as Phoenix built a commanding early lead.

“We’re having a little luck, and we don’t want to let it slip away. Ginebra is a different team out there without their MVPs. They don’t have Scottie Thompson, and they don’t have Justin Brownlee,” Tiu said.

Ginebra’s Riley Grigsby Erupts, But Rally Falls Just Short

The win wasn’t without late drama.

Phoenix nearly saw a massive 19-point lead completely unravel. Debuting Ginebra import Riley Grigsby exploded down the stretch, finishing with game-highs of 42 points and 13 rebounds to drag the Kings back into contention.

The Fuel Masters ultimately escaped disaster when Jonathan Gray’s four-point attempt at the buzzer sailed off target.

“We’re close to choking, and we’re happy nanalo pa rin kami,” Tiu admitted afterward.

Beyond Grigsby’s monster debut, Ginebra simply lacked firepower without Thompson and Brownlee. Not a single Ginebra local scored in double figures.

Gray led the local contingent with just nine points on an inefficient 3-of-14 shooting clip. RJ Abarrientos struggled to a similarly rough eight points on 3-of-16 shooting.

Phoenix, meanwhile, continues to establish itself as an early contender in the Governors’ Cup — riding the two-way production of Johnson and the emergence of Rivero into one of the hottest starts in franchise history.