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| Donovan Smith led the way for Phoenix with 22 points and the game-saving block on Deon Thompson. PBA Images |
MANILA--Ken Tuffin saved the day for Phoenix as he scored the winning basket in a 93-91 victory over Rain Or Shine in their PBA Commissioner's Cup clash on Saturday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Tuffin followed up on a Jason Perkins miss with 0.7 seconds left as the Fuel Masters survived a late run by the Elasto Painters where they scored five straight points to tie the game up at 91 apiece.
Andrei Caracut had a chance to give ROS the lead but missed on an isolation triple, leading up to Tuffin's game-winner.
Deon Thompson tried to steal the win for the Elasto Painters, but Donovan Smith blocked his three-pointer at the final buzzer.
Smith finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, and three steals for Phoenix, which joined a tie with Magnolia and NLEX for ninth place at 3-5, a half-game behind San Miguel for eighth place.
Tyler Tio added 16 points, three rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while RR Garcia put up 14 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists.
Thompson also tallied 22 points with 13 rebounds, six assists, and five steals, but he finally tallied a loss in the PBA as ROS dropped to 5-2, although they remain in second place due to a better winning percentage against Hong Kong Eastern and Converge despite a virtual tie.
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