Phoenix wasted no time putting last week’s ugly loss behind it. The Fuel Masters stamped a 102-93 win over a skidding Blackwater squad Tuesday, snapping back into form in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Jason Perkins led the charge with a team-high 25 points, while Robert Johnson, Gian Mamuyac and Ricci Rivero all stepped up as Phoenix cranked things up several notches in the second half, building a lead as large as 94-83.

Fuel Masters Erase Their ‘Soft’ Label

Blackwater never found an answer once Phoenix took control, and the Fuel Masters cruised to their fourth win in five games, staying atop Group B. For head coach Charles Tiu, the win was about more than just the scoreboard — it was a response to how his team looked in last week’s 98-105 loss to Rain or Shine.

“We sent some videos to the PBA and I think they admitted naman that there were some missed calls. But we told the guys that it’s not about the referees, it’s also about us, you know,” Tiu said.

“We played soft and I think they were able to bully us and be more physical than us and hindi kami pumalag (we didn’t fight back). So, we made sure we’d address that and be the ones that were more aggressive today.”

Tiu also credited Blackwater’s improved play under new coach Pat Aquino before turning his focus back to his own team’s defensive discipline. “I think one of our goals was to stop them from running, their transition offense, and we were able to do that. Credit the guys, we were able to get some stops. It was tough, but we battled and we didn’t give up. We got some stops when it mattered and we were able to eke out the win,” he said.

Perkins added six rebounds to his big scoring night, Johnson put up 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Mamuyac delivered his best performance yet in a Phoenix uniform with 18 points. Rivero rounded out the strong showing with a near-triple-double of 10 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.

Barkley’s Monster Game Not Enough for Blackwater

Kentrell Barkley did everything he could to keep Blackwater in it, finishing with game-highs of 36 points and 25 rebounds. But top gunner Sedrick Barefield had a rough outing, managing just 10 points on 5-of-19 shooting as the Bossing dropped their third straight game to fall to 2-3.

RK Ilagan chipped in 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists trying to fill the scoring void, but the game slipped away from Blackwater in the third quarter after the Bossing had briefly led 62-59. Perkins ignited a 19-10 run with a key jumper, with Mamuyac adding six points during the stretch, as Phoenix seized full control at 78-72 — a lead it would not relinquish.