Fuel Masters take to the door with some respect
Phoenix and Blackwater could only speak of how they can get better moving forward after wrapping up their respective campaigns not just in the PBA Philippine Cup, but Season 49, on Friday.
The Fuel Masters pulled out a 124-109 victory over the Bossing at Ninoy Aquino Stadium to end up at 4-7 for the all-Filipino, which meant another absence from the playoffs that they were never able to set foot on throughout the season.
But coach Jamike Jarin could only be optimistic of the potential growth of his young roster, including sophomore Kenneth Tuffin, who scored a career-high 29 points, and athletic rookie Kai Ballungay.
“They’re just gonna get better,” Jarin said. “Kai had a big transformation for this all-Filipino and he has proven that he can play and he will be a superstar. Ken Tuffin had another year and I hope he has matured and can keep getting better.”
Phoenix wound up with an 8-33 record for three conferences.
Blackwater had two more wins than Phoenix this year, but also failed to enjoy a taste of playoff basketball. The Philippine Cup saw the Bossing finish with a 2-9 record, marred by a five-game skid midway in the eliminations.
There were a few bright spots, like the way Christian David played, which showed his ability to shoot from the outside.
David’s contract is set to expire in August, and the Bossing hope to work a way to give the second-year forward a satisfying deal.
“He’s really come on his own,” Blackwater coach Jeffrey Cariaso said. “We have a few guys expiring and Christian is a priority. So we will make sure we sit down and the idea is to continue to grow.”
Meanwhile, TNT and Magnolia were playing an all-important game that had implications in the twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
Magnolia will practically secure a twice-to-beat advantage with a win while putting TNT in a tougher road for its Grand Slam quest with a loss.
On the other hand, TNT keeps its chance in the quarterfinal bonus and may have to rely on the result of Sunday’s games to hopefully finish in the top four.
