PHOENIX cranked it up in the second half to wipe out an early 16-point deficit and run away to a 98-86 victory over Magnolia in the PBA Governors’ Cup Saturday at Ynares Center-Montalban.
Import BJ Johnson made a rousing PBA debut of 34 points and 10 rebounds and led the 49-33 salvo in the last 24 minutes that enabled the Fuel Masters to turn things around and complete the steal in Group B of the season-ending conference.
Johnson took charge just as the Hotshots threatened to blow them away, creating a 44-28 separation at the 7:14 mark of the second.
He ignited a late surge that put Phoenix within a manageable 49-53 deficit at the end of the period.
And after his 15-point splurge in the second canto, the 6-foot-6 import banged in 11 after restart as the Fuel Masters wrested control, 79-71.
Jason Perkins and Tyler Tio then led the mop-up operations in the fourth, combining for 12 en route to finishing with 23 and 11, respectively.
“The team just gave me confidence. They wanted me to be myself, they gave me the green light to be aggressive and score the ball,” said Johnson.
“We’re a smaller team so we need everybody to rebound and I just used my athleticism to get a few rebounds,” he added.
Zav Lucero took the scoring cudgels for Magnolia with 20 as import KJ Buffen couldn’t get his rhythm and spent tons of time on the bench due to foul woes. Buffen committed three fouls right in the opening period, got his fifth halfway through the third and eventually fouled out with 17.2 seconds left. He finished with 15. (OL)
The Scores
Phoenix 98 – Johnson 34, Perkins 23, Tio 11, Tuffin 7, Ballungay 6, Santos 6, Rivero 6, Delos Santos 3, Chua 2, Cullar 0, Reavis 0.
Magnolia 86 – Lucero 20, Buffen 15, Lastimosa 14, Sangalang 13, Lee 8, Barroca 4, Alfaro 3, Andrada 3, Gomez De Liano J. 2, Koon 2, Jopia 2, Dela Rosa 0.
Quarterscores: 26-32, 49-53, 79-71, 98-86
