PHOENIX Super LPG ended Sunday night a three-year wait for a PBA Final Four return following an 88-84 drubbing of Meralco in a do-or-die face-off at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Foiled in their first shot on Wednesday, the Fuel Masters regrouped and returned a determined lot, bouncing back with the four-point triumph that sent them to the semifinals versus top seed Magnolia.
The 2023-24 Commissioner's Cup best-of-five semis start Wednesday with second seed San Miguel Beer and No. 3 Barangay Ginebra paired in the other matchup.
The Fuel Masters will be playing their first semis since the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup in escaping past the Bolts with their domination of the battle at the paint.
Johnathan Williams III was again a lead force, silently working his way to double-double outing of 21 points and 16 rebounds on top of two assists against a single turnover.
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Jason Perkins, Javee Mocon and Ken Tuffin had their solid jobs inside the paint as they showed Meralco the door, joining the other early eliminated teams in Converge, Terrafirma, Blackwater, NLEX, TNT, Rain or Shine and NorthPort.
Perkins came through with his own double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds, Mocon chipped in 11 boards and nine markers while Tuffin had 10 markers and two rebounds.
A fourth Phoenix player finishing in double figures was veteran RJ Jazul with 13 including three three-pointers.
Imposing themselves off the boards, Wiliams and his teammates took control most of the way, leading by as many as 18 late in the third.
The Fuel Masters outrebounded the Bolts, 56-46, and enjoyed an eight-point advantage on second-chance points.
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Big rebounds allowed the Fuel Masters to pull away in the third before having to fend off a Meralco uprising in the payoff period.
Cliff Hodge, Chris Newsome and Allein Maliksi led the Meralco charge that had the team back into the game at 73-77 four minutes into the final canto.
The Fuel Masters kept their composure, though, and kept the Bolts from getting any closer.(SB)
The Scores:
PHOENIX 88 - Williams 21, Perkins 19, Jazul 13, Tuffin 10, Mocon 9, Tio 6, Alejandro 4, Rivero 4, Garcia 2, Muyang 0, Manganti 0, Lalata 0, Daves 0, Verano 0, Camacho 0.
MERALCO 84 - Newsome 15, Hodge 15, Maliksi 15, Miller 12, Quinto 11, Black 7, Banchero 7, Almazan 2, Rios 0, Pascual 0.
QUARTERS: 30-22, 55-43, 77-62, 88-84
