PBA: Phoenix dominates Blackwater to halt two-game slide

Phoenix returned to the win column in emphatic fashion, cruising to a 125-108 victory over Blackwater on Friday in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Center in Montalban.

The win snapped the Fuel Masters’ two-game skid following losses to NLEX and Barangay Ginebra, improving their record to 4-3.

Phoenix came out firing, outscoring Blackwater, 34-26, in the opening quarter before taking a 67-56 lead at halftime. The Fuel Masters pulled away in the second half, stretching the lead to as much as 28 points, 114-86, after a James Dickey layup at the 6:31 mark of the fourth quarter. From there, Phoenix kept control to secure its fourth win of the conference.

“I like how we shared the ball. The ball movement was good for the most part. It feels nice to get back with a win,” said Phoenix head coach Charles Tiu.

Dickey led the way with a dominant performance of 27 points, 26 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and three blocks. Jason Perkins paced the locals with 25 points, while Ken Tuffin added 20 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Tyler Tio and Ricci Rivero chipped in 14 and 13 points, respectively.

The loss spoiled a huge outing from Blackwater’s Robert Upshaw, who scored 36 points. Sedrick Barefield added 27 points, 26 of which came in the first half, while Paul Zamar contributed 14 points as the Bossing dropped to 1-6.

Scores:

Phoenix 125 – Dickey III 27, Perkins 25, Tuffin 20, Tio 14, Rivero 13, Santos 6, Nelle 4, Ynot 4, Delos Santos 3, Caperal 3, Ando 3, Gozum 2, Daves 1, Escandor 0.

Blackwater 108 – Upshaw III 36, Barefield 27, Zamar 14, Andrade 8, Murrell 6, Tratter 6, Una 4, Jopia 3, Altamirano 2, David 2, Escoto 0, Dumont 0, Guinto 0, Mallilin 0.

Quarters: 34-26, 67-56, 97-79, 125-108.

—JKC, GMA News