Back in business: Dickey delivers as Phoenix downs Blackwater

Games today:

(Ynares Center-Montalban)

5:15 p.m. --- Titan Ultra vs TNT

7:30 p.m. --- Barangay Ginebra vs Terrafirma

Phoenix came out with its tank full and ran over a slumping Blackwater for a feel-good, 125-108, win that snapped a two-game skid in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Friday at the Ynares Center-Montalban.

Import James Dickey III filled up the stats sheet with impressive numbers, highlighted by a 20-20 performance, as the Fuel Masters copped their fourth win in seven starts.

Dickey pounded 27 points on a hot 10-of-13 shooting from the field and pulled down 26 rebounds in an outing he laced with five assists, three steals and three blocks for Phoenix before calling it a night with under six minutes left in the game and the Fuel Masters up by 28 points.

It was all over but the shouting when Dickey III’s layup gave Phoenix a 116-88 advantage with 5:56 left in the ballgame.

“I liked how we share the ball. We had 29 assists. The ball movement was good for the most part. The guys were making good decisions, making the right plays,” Fuel Masters head coach Charles Tiu said.

“It just feels nice to get back with a win. A two-game losing streak is tough, morale’s down and I’m just happy we found a way to win.”

Jason Perkins had 25 points, Ken Tuffin added 20 points while Tyler Tio and Ricci Rivero added 14 and 13 points, respectively, as Phoenix capitalized on a Bossing side missing the services of rookie playmaker Dalph Panopio due to a fractured right hand.

The Fuel Masters maintained a safe distance in the third quarter after building an 11-point lead by halftime. It turned into a full-scale blowout in the final canto.

“We treated this as a playoff game for us. We wanted to come out strong in the third quarter and we’re able to do that today. The coaches had a great game plan and we’re able to execute that, and it feels good to be on the winning side of things,” Tuffin said.

Blackwater suffered its fourth straight loss for a 1-6 card.

Import Rob Upshaw III scored 36 points and pulled down nine rebounds while Sedrick Barefield was held down to just one point in the second half after exploding for 26 in the first two quarters.

Panopio, who joined RK Ilagan and Jed Mendoza in the injury list, sustained his injury in a loss to TNT last Wednesday and is expected to be out for a month.

Meanwhile, defending champion TNT focuses on racking up a third straight win in a showdown against Titan Ultra today at the same Rizal venue.

All eyes are fixed once again on Tropang 5G’s celebrated 7-foot-3 import Bol Bol in the 5:15 p.m. curtain-raiser.

The former National Basketball Association (NBA) player is averaging a league-leading 37.17 points per game, capped by a 48-point explosion laced with seven blocks in a 99-94 win over Blackwater last Tuesday for a 4-2 record in fourth to fifth tied with Barangay Ginebra.

“Like I’ve said, Bol is a work in progress. We keep talking to him and making him understand our defensive schemes, making him realize how important he is in the way we want to defend,” Tropang 5G coach Chot Reyes said.

“So, yeah, that’s one thing that I’m getting a lot of encouragement from. If he continues to be an elite defender that’s going to help our team a lot.”

Bol is expected to deliver more of the same to bring down the Giant Risers, who are in 10th spot with a 2-4 slate.

In the other match, the Kings are also seeking to extend their winning run to three straight against a skidding Terrafirma at 7:30 p.m.

Ginebra head coach Tim Cone emphasizes the importance of maintaining his team’s winning run, especially with the tightening race for a quarterfinals spot.

“All these games are really crucial for us just, number one, to get into the playoffs, and we just wanna win as many games as we can and look up at the end of the eliminations and see where we are,” Cone said.

The Dyip are desperate to halt a four-game slide after a strong 3-0 start. Terrafirma is in a three-way logjam with Magnolia and San Miguel Beer at 3-4.