Fuel Masters fight for life

At this point, our fate is still on our hands.

Phoenix fights for life as Chris Banchero debuts for Magnolia today in a crucial battle in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup today at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

The Fuel Masters and the Hotshots clash in the main game at 7 in the evening with the former trying to salvage what is left in the chances to advance to the next round.

In the opener, San Miguel Beer battles the new-look Blackwater at 4:30 p.m. with the Elite also on the brink of elimination.

Phoenix is currently out of the top eight with a 2-6 win-loss mark and enters the game with a two-game losing streak, the last one a 104-106 setback at the hands of Columbian Dyip.

Fuel Masters head coach Louie Alas remains upbeat despite their record as two of their last three games are against lower-ranked teams.

“At this point, our fate is still in on our hands. Our recent losses are just by two or three possessions. I told them we have to work on that. Carelessness is the problem of the team. If we can lessen that errors, then we have a good chance on winning,” Alas said.

“We’re up against the defending champions and if we need a win, they also need it because they want to reach the upper bracket. We need to bring our A-game tomorrow defensively and offensively. We can’t have a shootout because they’re a great defensive team.”

Alonzo Gee exploded for 45 points in his Phoenix debut and the long break it had allows the former National Basketball Association campaigner to fit into its system.

Filipino-Canadian shooter Matthew Wrights also returns for the Fuel Masters after missing their last game to attend her wife, who just gave birth to their first child.

Magnolia holds the sixth spot at 4-4 and the acquisition of Banchero from Alaska for Robbie Herndon and Rodney Brondial boosts the Hotshots to go deep in the tournament.

Meanwhile, the Beermen (5-3) try to clinch a slot in the quarterfinal round with a victory over the Elite, who had a busy October after engaging in three separate deals.

Blackwater, at 2-7 has a slight chance of making to the next stage, traded Mike DiGregorio and Bobby Ray Parks to TNT KaTropa and Allein Maliksi and Reymar Jose to Meralco for Brian Heruela, Don Trollano, Anthony Semerad, Nino Canaleta, Mike Tolomia and a bunch of future first and second round picks.

“We’re playing a team that is seeking for a grand slam and well all know how good San Miguel is. We cannot repeat the mistakes that we made in our last two games. We cannot play catch-up basketball,” Elite head coach Aries Dimaunahan said.

“It will be a test of character for us. We really need to win. Our mindset is to win. We cannot have other mindset about that, we’re in a business of winning,” he added.

San Miguel is coming off an ugly 99-125 loss to Meralco for its second straight loss in a game where import Dez Wells rolled his ankle in the second period.