Manila, Philippines – The Phoenix Fuelmasters shocked the defending champion San Miguel Beermen as they beat them in the PBA Philippine Cup this October 12.
The Phoenix Fuelmasters were ready for their match up against San Miguel Beermen that was held at the Ynares Center in Rizal.
In just the first quarter, they already showed aggressiveness, most especially the guards of Phoenix like Tyler Tio, Ricci Rivero, and Evan Nelle.
It was a team effort for Phoenix; they executed their objectives very well including good ball movement and denied the reigning MVP Jun Mar Fajardo.
With this, Fajardo’s game was quiet in the first half, including his struggles in the stripe. His offensive motor only turned on during the second half, but it was not enough to get the win.
In his “bad night,” he tallied 19 points with 22 rebounds.
Ricci Rivero and Evan Nelle deserved their flowers after this win, as Nelle became the facilitator, making everyone involved. He had an outstanding 9 points with 10 assists. Rivero had 16 points and was named the Best Player of the Game.
The final score of their match up is 109-103.
The Phoenix Fuelmasters are now 1-1 in their standing. Meanwhile the defending champions have yet to win a game with their 0-2 record.