PHOENIX Super LPG rolled back to winning, hammering out a merciless 135-84 rout of a Lester Prosper-less Terrafirma to give its PBA Commissioner's Cup quarterfinal drive a big boost Saturday at the PhilSports Arena.
Making the most of the opportunity against a Dyip crew without Prosper (health protocols), the Fuel Masters stormed to a 67-30 tear after two quarters - the fifth most lopsided first-half in league history - to establish the one-sided nature of this matchup.
In breaking its three-game skid, Topex Robinson's charges finished the elims with an even 6-6 record, good for sixth spot for now and possibly at least a playoff for the Last-8.
"Right now we don't know where we're gonna be at the end of the eliminations but what's important for us is to get the players on the same page all the time," said Robinson.
With six Ws, Phoenix holds some edge against the chase pack such as five-win holders San Miguel (5-5) and Rain or Shine (5-6) and four-win carders Meralco (4-5), NLEX (4-7) and TNT (4-7) going to the last few games of the elims.
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"What's good about this is we're in a better place," said Robinson after wrapping up a roller-coaster elims that saw them lose their first three, win their next five, then go on a slump the next three before closing with a 51-point carnage.
"We don't really know at this point (the final positioning). We don't have control on who we're going to face next. But we have total control of our team and so it's really continuing to grow and learn," he added.
RR Garcia (20), Encho Serrano (17), Kaleb Wesson (17), Jason Perkins (16), Kurt Lojera (11) and Sean Manganti (10) produced a balanced attack to help Phoenix to this franchise-recording triumph.
Robinson's crew surpassed the franchise's previous largest winning margin of 41 (132-91 over NorthPort in the 2018 Governors' Cup) while matching its all-high highest output of 135, first achieved in a 27-point rout of Globalport in the 2018 Commissioner's Cup.
The Fuel Masters dealt the eliminated Dyip (1-11) their second worst loss of the franchise after their 54-point beating by Bay Area just last Oct. 21. (OL)
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The Scores:
Phoenix 135 - Garcia 20, Serrano 17, Wesson 17, Perkins 16, Jazul 14, Lojera 11, Manganti 10, Tio 9, Mocon 8, Muyang 8, Anthony 3, Camacho 2, Adamos 0, Rios 0, Pascual 0.
Terrafirma 84 - Munzon 12, Camson 11, Mina 10, Alolino 9, Javelona 9, Gomez de Liano 8, Tiongson 7, Ramos 7, Gabayni 6, Cahilig 5, Grospe 0, Balagasay 0.
Quarters: 26-13, 67-30, 107-61, 135-84
