Fuel Masters to test Dyip mettle

Games today:

(Ynares Center-Antipolo)

5:15 p.m. — Terrafirma vs Phoenix

7:30 p.m. — San Miguel vs Converge

Surprise leader and still undefeated Terrafirma guards against complacency in a challenging match against Phoenix as it shoots for a fourth straight win in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup today at the Ynares Center-Antipolo.

Treading on unfamiliar territory after an impressive 3-0 start, head coach Ronald Tubid reminds his men to keep their guards up and temper their emotions from Dyip’s recent success in the mid-season conference.

“Phoenix is a tough matchup. So, we really need to prepare,” Tubid said as Terrafirma braces for war in the 5:15 p.m. battle.

“Phoenix is also a tall and big team. We visualize what we should do against them during practice.”

San Miguel Beer and Converge square off at 7:30 p.m. to restore their winning ways.

Meanwhile, Magnolia will be bringing in a new import in Clint Chapman after suffering three straight losses with Sudanese Olympian Nuni Omot.

Listed at 6-foot-10, Chapman is an all-around player who has significant overseas experience after plying his trade in countries like Switzerland, Turkey, Japan, Germany, Italy and parts of West Asia. His most recent stint was in Lebanon, where he led CS Antonine before the Lebanese Basketball League took a break.

He will be coming in to replace Omot, who dropped 38 points in their heartbreaking 97-91 loss to Blackwater last Sunday.

The Dyip, behind tireless import Ali Mubashar, Jerrick Ahanmisi Paolo Hernandez and top overall pick Geo Chiu, have rolled past Titan Ultra, Converge and Blackwater in a 99-88 victory a week ago.

“We want to peak at the right pace. So, we’re taking it easy in practice,” Tubid explained.

“Our players have yet to fully absorb our system, so we’re taking it slowly so we can peak at the right time,” he added.

The Fuel Masters, on the other hand, are seeking to get back on the winning track after their back-to-back winning streak came to a screeching halt.

Phoenix slipped to a 2-1 slate tied with NLEX after a sorry 86-93 loss to Meralco last Saturday.

Reinforcement James Dickey III, Ricci Rivero and Ken Tuffin will have to tough it out to save the Fuel Masters from another defeat, as Kai Balunggay and Tyler Tio are still recovering from injuries and Jason Perkins is still not in full health.

In the other pairing, the FiberXers look to check a two-game slide and break away from a three-team logjam in eighth to 10th with Titan Ultra and Blackwater.

Converge dropped its games against Terrafirma and Meralco after starting its campaign with a victory over guest team, Macau Black Knights.

The Beermen had a rude welcome in their first game after back-to-back Philippine Cup conquests.

San Miguel, which played sans injured Jericho Cruz, struggled against Titan Ultra in a 112-119 loss last Saturday.