Phoenix cruises past Blackwater to pick up second win

The Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters picked up a second straight win after taking care of business against the Blackwater Bossing, 110-99, in the 2021 PBA Governors’ Cup on Saturday at the Ynares Arena in Pasig.

Chris Banchero led Phoenix with 23 points and seven assists while import Paul Harris contributed with 19 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists of his own.

Phoenix also got a strong effort from Sean Manganti who went 6-for-7 from the field to finish with 17 points as the Fuel Masters improved to 2-0 in the conference so far.

Phoenix took the lead early after a barrage of three-pointers from Manganti, Banchero, and Jason Perkins. Another basket from Harris made it a 15-6 run to open the game before the Fuel Masters made it 28-18 at the end of the opening period.

Banchero and Harris then kept the team afloat in the second period, combining to score 15 of the team’s 23 points in that quarter.

They entered the fourth quarter ahead, 83-74, and got a huge lift from Manganti, who scored the team’s first seven points as part of a 7-2 blast to open the fourth. He hit back-to-back baskets before adding three more points on a possession where he came away with a split from the charity stripe, but grabbed a rebound off his own miss. He was fouled and took care of two more free throws as their lead increased to 14, 90-76.

Blackwater would never come closer than seven points from there.

The Bossing were led by Jaylen Bond with 18 points, 15 rebounds, and four assists while Richard Escoto, Joshua Torralba, Rashawn McCarthy, and Base Amer all finished in double figures scoring as well.

—JMB, GMA News