PBA: Macau ends Commissioner's Cup run in style with win over Phoenix

Macau ended its PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup run on a winning note after dealing Phoenix a crucial 105-98 loss on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Jenning Leung led the way with a 32-point explosion, adding three rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks, while import Tony Mitchell turned in a double-double of 13 points and 24 rebounds.

The victory closed Macau’s campaign at 3–9, while also dealing huge a blow to Phoenix’s push for a twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs as the Fuel Masters slipped to 6–5.

"We held them off. They made a good run, especially at the end of the third quarter. They pretty much dominated the third quarter with their size," Macau head coach Marcus Elliott said.

"But our guys kept composed, they came back, they made some plays, and Jenning hit a couple of big threes for us. Once we got there, we pretty much settled down."

With nothing to lose, Macau gave it all early by racing to a 34-14 lead in the opening frame before Phoenix crawled its way back and turn that deficit into just four at the halftime, 55-51.

Phoenix, which played without Ricci Rivero after he suffered a hand injury in its previous game against TNT, still showed resilience. Ken Tuffin, Tyler Tio, and import Johnathan Williams spearheaded a third-quarter surge that forced a 75-all deadlock heading into the final period.

A Tuffin basket off an Evan Nelle dish gave Phoenix a slim 93-92 lead, but the Black Knights swung for a 9-0 blast highlighted by a booming three-pointer from Leung 101-93.

Tio tried to mount a comeback with his own triple, but the Black Knights held on to take the seven-point victory before heading back to Macau.

Without Rivero, Tuffin took charge with 27 points and eight rebounds while both Williams and Jason Perkins tallied 20 points in the losing effort.

Scores:

Macau 105 – Leung 32, Cao 22, Mitchell 13, Shackelford 13, Chao 12, Chongqui 8, Chen 3, Lu 1.

Phoenix 98 – Tuffin 27, Williams 20, Perkins 20, Tio 13, Nelle 9, Delos Santos 4, Ynot 3, Escandor 2, Santos 0, Daves 0.

Quarters: 34-23, 55-51, 75-75, 105-98.

—JKC, GMA News