How about them, Phoenix Fuel Masters, huh? After dropping the first game of the semifinals series against the TNT Tropang Giga, the Fuel Masters have managed to score back-to-back wins to take the driver’s seat and move a victory away from booking a spot in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
Will Phoenix end this series on Wednesday? Or, will TNT force a Game 5?
Catch this game live on November 25 at 6:30 pm, Manila time.
The Phoenix Fuel Masters (2-1)
We’re no doctors, but we could tell you with a straight face that Matthew Wright’s ankles are okay. Wright played his best game of this series in Game 3’s 92-89 Phoenix win, as he paced the Fuel Masters with 25 points with five 3-pointers in 33 minutes off the bench.
Wright sustained an ankle injury in Game 1 and scored just two points in Game 2, as he was obviously still being bothered by the pain then. In Game 3, Wright erased any doubts about this health with a huge performance. With two full days of rest before Game 4, Wright can have enough rest to avoid any aggravation of the injury.
The Fuel Masters are shooting the lights out from deep over the last couple of games, and it’s giving TNT lots of headaches. Phoenix has buried 30 3-pointers on 37.9 percent shooting since Game 2.
The TNT Tropang Giga (1-2)
The Tropang Giga have to wake up, but if you want names to be called, then you can start with RR Pogoy and Jayson Castro.
Pogoy has been atrocious from the field, as he’s shot just 13 of 43 so far in this series for an eye-sore 30.2 percent accuracy. As for Castro, the shine of his spectacular showing in Game 1 has already faded, thanks to a 2-of-10 and 3-of-12 shooting from the field in Games 2 and 3, respectively.
The Tropang Giga are a deep team that’s more than just about Pogoy, Castro, and Bobby Parks Jr., but they are TNT’s compass. The Tropang Giga will go as far as where that trio takes them, and with them sputtering of late, it’s not much of a surprise that Phoenix is currently leading the series.
One thing going TNT’s way is the rebounding battle, as the Tropang Giga have won in that area in each of the last two games.
PREDICTION:
With their backs against the wall, the Tropang Giga get huge performances from Pogoy, Parks, and Castro, who will take over late again just like he did in Game 1. TNT wins Game 4, 98-90.
