PBA: Phoenix Fuel Masters tinambakan ang Terrafirma Dyip

Tinambakan ng Phoenix Fuel Masters ang Terrafirma Dyip sa kanilang paghaharap kagabi, January 7, 2025 sa Philsports Arena sa pagpapatuloy ng PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup, 122-108. 

Pinangunahan ni Donovan Smith ang koponan kung saan nakapagtala ito ng 37 points seven rebounds, three assists at five blocks. 

Ayon kay Smith, hindi na umano nito tinitingnan kung mananalo sila o matatalo sa laban. Ang mahalaga ay ginawa nila ang kanilang makakaya at positibo lagi ang kanilang pananaw sa laban na kanilang hinaharap at lahat sila aniya ay gumawa para makuha ang panalo. 

”We come into work every day with the same attitude regardless if we would’ve won five straight or lost. It’s just keeping that positive mindset within the guys to make sure that we have the same goal. That will carry us into the New Year. It’s a fresh start, so we just need to focus on our next games and build on the win that we have today,” ani Smith. 

"I just think our team as a whole did a really good job today. I was a lot more vocal on the floor and so I think that contributed to us winning. Just holding guys accountable and having the guys holding me accountable as well on both sides of the floor. I feel that's the biggest reason why we won today, because we played together for 48 minutes," dagdag pa ni Smith. 

Hindi pinayagan ng Fuel Masters na makuha ng Dyip ang panalo na nakalaan na sa kanila bagaman sa umpisa ng laban ay mahina ang kanilang depensa kaya nalalamangan sila ng kanilang kalaban. Ito rin ang ikinadismaya ni Phoenix Fuel Masters head coach Jamike Jarin at mabuti na lamang umano at bumawi na ang koponan sa third quarter. 

Pinuri din ni Jarin ang naging performance ni Smith sa laro.

"We really needed to get it together, especially defensively. We were very disappointed in the first quarter and in the third quarter because we gave up a lot of points. It's still a learning process for everybody, but a lot of credit goes to this guy (Smith). I'm just so blessed to have him. People don't know kasi in the two games before our break he's sick. He just kept playing with it because he knows he's very valuable and he's a team player. So we're just fortunate and blessed that we have a Donovan Smith as our import," ani Jarin.