BLACKWATER Elite and Phoenix Fuel Masters, both with a 7-3 win-loss slate, will tangle in a crucial 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup battle on Sunday, with the winner moving closer to their franchise’s first-ever semifinals stint.
The fourth and final “twice-to-beat” quarterfinals advantage is what’s at stake in the match at 4 p.m. The loser will have to win twice against the higher-seeded teams to make it to the Final Four.
Former NBA player and Elite reinforcement Henry Walker said he expects a tough game this afternoon but is banking on his teammates to have a defensive mindset against the Fuel Masters.
“For us to beat the Phoenix, we gonna have to bring it defensively,” Walker said. “Just knowing (Phoenix) head coach (Francisco Luis) Alas, I know he’s gonna be ready.”
“He doesn’t shut down from competition and neither are those guys (at Phoenix), so we got a tough challenge ahead of us,” added Walker, who played for Alaska Aces before where Alas served as a longtime assistant coach before moving to Phoenix.
Actually the Elite had a rough outing in their last few matches before regaining their bearing with a 120-99 victory over also-ran Columbian Dyip a week ago at the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan, Laguna.
“I think we just got back committing to play defense and it’s something that’s gotten away from us,” said Walker, a former player of NBA teams Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and New York Knicks.
Last year, Walker and the Elite were close to making it to their first-ever semifinals appearance after nearly knocking off then top-seed Meralco Bolts but faltered in the endgame.
“When we started the conference, our defense was on a different level. We were hungry on the defense and we kind of got away with that,” he said. “We are hoping that this year is the year we will make it deep into the playoffs.”
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On the part of the Fuel Masters, the match will be vital – a victory can move them up to as high as second place while a defeat can relegate them to as low as seventh place in the playoff seeding.
“It’s a huge game. That’s like our season on the line because, if we win, we get top two. It’s big for us, especially for a young franchise. We have to play our A-game,” said Fuel Masters import Eugene Phelps.
Phelps added that their recent come-from-behind win over Rain or Shine Elasto Painters was a huge test for the young Fuel Masters team heading into the playoff round.
“It shows big character of the team,” said Phelps. “We could have easily put our heads down but we knew top four is on the line. All we have to do is take it step by step, get a stop, get a bucket, and eventually, we ended up coming back and getting the win.”
As morale-boosting as their last win was, Fuel Masters head coach Alas said he already warned his players not to have the same flat start as in their game against the Painters.
“Iyong against Blackwater, fight for placing iyon,” Alas said. “But may complication pa rin na puwedeng mangyari. We just have to take care of business. Puwede kaming mag-No. 2 to 4. Kailangan manalo talaga. Must-win.”
“Honestly, if we play the same way as Blackwater, we can’t win. Lots of bad habits and we have to arrest it. We have to check it. Good thing na-foul trouble iyong import nila. But as I’ve said, Henry Walker is very, very smart. We have to do a lot better against Blackwater,” he added./PN
