MANILA, Philippines – Phoenix grounded Converge to a measly 20 first-half points and cruised to an 89-66 blowout win in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday, July 16.

Jason Perkins showed the way with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists to help the Fuel Masters snap their five-game skid and give star guard Matthew Wright a fitting sendoff before his wedding.

Finishing with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals, Wright will not play in their final eliminations game against Barangay Ginebra on July 21 as he flies to the United States for the ceremony.

Wright and Aljun Melecio set the tone in the lopsided affair, scoring 8 points each in the first half to key Phoenix to a commanding 47-20 advantage.

The FiberXers trailed by just 7 points after the opening quarter but were outscored 29-9 in the ensuing period as the Fuel Masters coasted to stay in playoff contention with a 3-7 record.

Melecio churned out 12 points and 4 rebounds, while Tyler Tio put up 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in the romp that saw Phoenix enjoy a lead as large as 35 points.

Larry Muyang made his presence felt with 10 points and 8 rebounds for the Fuel Masters, who got back on track after a skid that lasted for almost a month.

While Phoenix spread the wealth with five players in double figures, no Converge player breached twin digits in scoring in a game that marked the lowest scoring output by a team this conference.

Blackwater previously held the mark in its 98-68 loss to NLEX on Friday.

Abu Tratter and Tyrus Hill netted 9 points apiece for the FiberXers, who dropped to 4-6 after winning back-to-back games.

The Scores

Phoenix 89 – Wright 15, Perkins 14, Melecio 12, Tio 11, Muyang 10, Jazul 6, Anthony 5, Pascual 4, Rios 3, Porter 2, Mocon 2, Lalata 2, Serrano 2, Garcia 1.

Converge 66 – Tratter 9, Hill 9, Adamos 8, Browne 7, Arana 7, Murrell 6, Tolomia 5, Ilagan 4, Ambohot 4, Ahanmisi 3, Bulanadi 2, Stockton 2, Racal 0, DiGregorio 0.

Quarters: 18-11, 47-20, 70-45, 89-66.

– Rappler.com