Phoenix turns to Fil-Kiwi forward when the going gets Tuffin

MANILA, Philippines — Phoenix Fuel Masters head coach Charles Tiu had high praises for young forward Kenneth Tuffin. 

The Filipino-Zealander Tuffin came up big in the Fuel Masters’ narrow victory over the Meralco Bolts, 98-97, Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

The lefty forward finished with 17 points, to go with seven rebounds and a steal in the victory. 

He also made three free throws in the final 1:04 of the game, including the go-ahead freebies, to secure the victory for the Fuel Masters.

After the game, Tiu said that Tuffin is “like the soul of the team.”

“To me, he's like the heart and soul of the team. I don't know if I'd say heart, but maybe at least the soul. Because he's the one that really gets everybody together. Such a great leader,” he told reporters. 

“I mean, on the court, I think it speaks volumes the way he plays. But even when he's not shooting well or not playing well, you can always count on him to be a leader. He's always willing to defend the best players. And he's just tough. That's a guy you want to have in your team, definitely,” he added.

Tuffin scored nine points in the first quarter as Phoenix rushed to a 31-22 lead at the end of the first. 

And in the fourth quarter, with the Fuel Masters trailing by three, 94-97, Tuffin scored three of Phoenix’s final four points, including a pair with 13.4 seconds to go, for the win. 

“I wish guys played as hard as him every game. He's kind of like... Reminds me a lot of Cliff Hodge, the way they play. Just fighters, man. And that's something we need, our team really needs,” Tiu said of the sixth overall pick of the 2023 PBA draft. 

Phoenix is currently holding a 2-0 win-loss record in the import-laden conference. The squad is on top of Group B play. 

But Phoenix’s strong start will face an early acid test as the Fuel Masters take on Barangay Ginebra on Sunday, 7:30 p.m., at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.