Phoenix embracing challenges, including possible franchise sale, says Topex Robinson

By Ivan Saldajeno

PASIG--Phoenix began the week with its future in the PBA in question after reports surfaced that Team Owner Dennis Uy is looking to put his team for sale due to his debt issues with business tycoon Lucio Tan.

As confirmed by league commissioner Willie Marcial, a notice of garnishment was sent to the PBA by the court sheriff of the Nasugbu Regional Trial Court as well as 17 banks.

Investopedia defines garnishment as "an order directing a third party to seize assets, usually wages from employment or money in a bank account, to settle an unpaid debt."

With the team looking to finally score a win in the Commissioner's Cup following a 0-3 start, the franchise sale talks are too huge of a distraction ahead of the Fuel Masters' Saturday night game against the 2-0 NLEX Road Warriors, who will finally debut new head coach Frankie Lim.

Instead of getting puzzled by it, according to Coach Topex Robinson, Phoenix took that as a challenge to strive even more.

"We just embraced that things would be hard. The easy will never come to us. We know coming to this conference that it's gonna be hard. We just accepted it and we just kept our composure," Robinson said on Saturday night.

He then commended his players for still giving their all despite the uncertainty of the squad down the road.

"These guys, amidst everything that's happening around us, just kept our guts together. We made as much of the environment we're in to be safe where we could express whatever it is that we could express," Robinson continued following the team's 111-97 win against NLEX at the PhilSports Arena.

[Related Story: Behind Tyler Tio's career game, Phoenix snaps winless spell, spoils Frankie Lim's NLEX debut]

For now, according to Robinson, the Fuel Masters will just focus on their upcoming games.

"We just focus on the opportunity now. That's the only thing we could control of. We don't have control over what's happening around us. We are professionals, and we are just acting like one," he further said.