NorthPort recovers, spoils Phoenix PBA Philippine Cup debut

MANILA, Philippines – The NorthPort Batang Pier bucked a sluggish start and gave Phoenix Fuel Masters a rude welcome in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup, 124-120, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Friday.

Rookie Cade Flores poured in a career-high 21 points and hauled in 12 rebounds in the win.

Phoenix, which had a deep playoff run in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, started the contest red-hot, going up 9-0 in the early minutes of the game.

NorthPort, then, woke up and outscored the Fuel Masters 35-16 through the end of the first quarter to take a 35-25 lead.

The Batang Pier maintained a double-digit lead through three quarters, leading by as much as 14 points, before Phoenix made things interesting in the final frame.

The Fuel Masters tied the game at 110 and eventually took a 111-110 lead following a 5-0 run capped by a split by Ricci Rivero with 3:40 to go.

A 7-2 run by NorthPort capped by a layup by rookie Zave Lucero off a Yu steal put NorthPort firmly on the driver’s seat, 117-113, with 2:46 remaining in the game.

This lead was enough for the Batang Pier, as the Fuel Masters managed to just cut the lead to three multiple times in the final minutes.

After a Rivero layup cut the deficit, 118-121, a pair of free throws by Yu iced the game.

Seven NorthPort players finished in double-digits, led by Flores.

Lucero added 18 points, four assists and a rebound off the bench, while Joshua Munzon and Jeff Chan chipped in 17 each.

Arvin Tolentino followed suit with 15 points and nine rebounds. Yu and Paul Zamar had 13 and 11, respectively.

Perkins led Phoenix with 28 points and seven rebounds. Tyler Tio had 19 points in the game, before going out of the game with an apparent injury with about five minutes left.

With the win, NorthPort won its second straight game and is now up 2-1 in the season.

The Batang Pier will try to keep the streak rolling when they face the Meralco Bolts next. Phoenix wil try to bounce back against Barangay Ginebra.

Both games will be on Sunday, March 10, also at the Big Dome.