Encho Serrano fuels red-hot Phoenix

Slowly but surely, Phoenix Super LPG worked its way from the ground up after a winless start with crucial wins in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors' Cup.

From the bottom of the league, the Fuel Masters have now taken flight into the playoff picture at solo No. 8 — thanks to an all-important upset of quarterfinals-bound Converge entering the homestretch of the season-ending tournament.

Quickfire rookie Encho Serrano served as one of the fuels who sparked Phoenix's soar, unleashing a career-best of 28 points in the team's 106-103 escape act against the FiberXers.

The former De La Salle University guard poured his entire output in the second half, including a 17-point eruption in the payoff period as the Fuel Masters climbed to 3-5 and good enough for a comfortable leeway from Northport (2-6), Rain or Shine (2-6) and Terrafirma (2-6) in the mad dash for the last quarterfinals ticket.

He shot efficiently from the floor on 11-of-16 mark laced by two rebounds, two assists, and a steal in only 22 minutes of play in a performance that earned for him the Cignal Play-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for the period 22 to 26 February.

The 19th overall selection in last year's draft thus became the first rookie to earn two PBAPC-POW honors after winning his first in the 2022 Commissioner's Cup when he also anchored Phoenix's five-game winning streak from a 0-3 start.

Blackwater's Ato Ular was the only other freshman to be named Player of the Week this season.

Serrano said the feat is bore out of his mentality to always stay ready.

"Coach Jamike always tells me to stay ready," Serrano said.

"In the first half, I told myself that I really want to help. My confidence was still there, I just want to help the team."

Serrano eclipsed Chris Newsome of Meralco in a close call for the weekly honor being handed out by the group of print and online media regularly covering the PBA beat.