MANILA, Philippines - Phoenix Super LPG Fuelmasters returned to winning ways with a 102-93 victory over Blackwater Bossing to stay atop Group B, while injury-hit TNT Tropang 5G overcame adversity to stun the Converge FiberXers, 110-107, in the PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup double-header at Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
Phoenix found success by exploiting mismatches inside, with Jason Perkins providing a dominant scoring punch off the bench to offset an off-night from beyond the arc.
TNT, on the other hand, had to dig deep into its rotation after losing Jordan Heading and RR Pogoy to injuries, but Rey Nambatac rose to the occasion with a clutch scoring display that capped a resilient comeback and kept the Tropang 5G afloat despite its depleted lineup.
Jason Perkins thrives as an interior presence
Phoenix did not shoot well from beyond the arc, finishing just 20.8%, as import BJ Johnson struggled to find his touch from deep, going 0-for-6 despite scoring 23 points.
But with Blackwater switching almost every ball screen, the Fuelmasters found another avenue to generate efficient offense.
Instead of settling for jumpers, Phoenix repeatedly went to Perkins in the post whenever switches left smaller defenders matched up against him.
Guards, particularly Ricci Rivero, did an excellent job recognizing those mismatches early, as evidenced by his nine assists, delivering timely entry passes before Blackwater could scramble to switch or send a second defender.
The 33-year-old power forward responded by patiently backing down defenders, scoring through contact, and forcing the Bossing to collapse into the paint.
Perkins finished with 25 points and six rebounds in just 23 minutes while posting an outstanding 73.2 true shooting percentage.
More importantly, he generated most of his offense inside the arc, converting 61.5% of his two-point attempts as Phoenix consistently attacked the defense where it was most vulnerable.
Another encouraging development was the continued integration of Gian Mamuyac, who turned in his best performance in a Phoenix uniform with 18 points and three steals.
His downhill attacks complemented Perkins' post presence, giving the Fuelmasters a second source of rim pressure while also creating havoc defensively.
Head coach Charles Tiu hopes to see more players peak at the same time.
"Hopefully, we'll have games where everyone plays well together," Tiu said.
"So far, it's only been one player stepping up at a time. We still haven't had a game where everybody has played really well."
Rey Nambatac takes control amid TNT's injury woes
TNT entered the game shorthanded, with five players sidelined through injury, and things only got worse against Converge.
Heading, who carried the offense with 20 first-half points, exited in the third quarter, and Pogoy left after suffering an apparent knee injury with 3:09 remaining in the period.
Faced with an even thinner rotation and trailing 69-61 when Pogoy exited, the Tropang 5G leaned on Nambatac to orchestrate the offense, and the former PBA Finals MVP responded with one of the finest scoring performances of his career.
Rather than relying on a single scoring method, Nambatac consistently kept the Converge defense guessing. He attacked closeouts to get downhill, knocked down perimeter jumpers when defenders went under screens, and earned trips to the free-throw line whenever the FiberXers became too aggressive.
That offensive balance prevented Converge from loading up on him despite TNT's depleted lineup.
Nambatac poured in 21 of his 30 points after Pogoy went down while posting a stellar 79.1 true shooting percentage.
His biggest shot came with the score tied at 107, when TNT cleared the floor and ran a simple high ball screen to create just enough separation for Nambatac to bury the game-winning three-pointer over a defender.
Just as important was how TNT generated offense without relying solely on its half-court execution.
The Tropang 5G forced 20 Converge turnovers, which they converted into a commanding 26-5 advantage in points off turnovers.
Sean Quitevis and Kim Aurin spearheaded that defensive pressure at the point of attack, combining for seven steals while repeatedly disrupting Converge's offensive rhythm.
The team also received an unexpected lift from Henry Galinato. With import Darius Days struggling to make an impact, the energetic big man supplied a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double, providing valuable interior production on both ends of the floor.
The resilience shown by the Tropang 5G impressed head coach Chot Reyes.
"We could have folded when we lost Jordan, and when we lost Roger," Reyes said.
"Still, the guys kept playing.
"You saw how deep into our bench I had to go. I had to call on Tyrus Hill and Paul Varilla, but they contributed and gave this guy beside me [Nambatac] the chance to come up with his late-game heroics."
Final day for Darius Days
TNT decided to part ways with import Darius Days, after four underwhelming games that failed to meet expectations.
The move came as the Australian NBL club Illawarra Hawks announced the signing of the former NBA forward for the 2027 season, which begins on Sept. 19.
Head coach Chot Reyes did not mince words when explaining the decision.
"Darius is not the Darius Days that we had a couple of years back. He's completely out of shape, overweight, and I think it shows in his game," Reyes said. "And obviously, it's affecting the game of the locals."
TNT will turn to Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson as Days' replacement.
The older brother of resident Tropang 5G import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson previously suited up for the franchise during the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
He will have little time to settle in, with TNT set to face San Miguel in his Governors' Cup debut at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Saturday.
