Phoenix stays perfect; NLEX rallies past Magnolia to remain unbeaten

Two teams continued their early surge in the Philippine Basketball Association Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday as the Phoenix Fuel Masters and NLEX Road Warriors remained spotless following contrasting victories at the Ynares Center II in Montalban.

Phoenix delivered the more dominant showing of the night, dismantling the Titan Ultra, 109-76, to stretch its winning start under coach Charles Tiu to two games.

Unlike their tense opening win over Magnolia Hotshots just two days earlier, the Fuel Masters wasted little time asserting control. Phoenix raced to a 33-17 advantage in the opening period and never allowed Titan Ultra to seriously threaten afterward.

The win also marked the franchise’s first 2-0 start in five years, dating back to the 2021-22 Governors’ Cup when former import Paul Harris powered the team.

Phoenix once again relied on a balanced attack. Ricci Rivero led the charge with 18 points and nine rebounds, while also adding four assists and two steals.

Import James Dickey III nearly produced a monster double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds to go with six assists, four steals, and four blocks.

Ken Tuffin added 17 points highlighted by three triples, while Evan Nelle contributed 14 points and eight assists.

Bench contributions from Bryan Santos, who scored 13 points, helped Phoenix maintain control throughout the second half.

Titan Ultra briefly showed signs of life in the third quarter, trimming the gap to 69-62 after a basket from Michael Gilmore with just over two minutes remaining in the period.

But Phoenix quickly restored order. Kai Ballungay and Santos sparked a key response before Nelle buried a four-pointer early in the fourth to ignite a decisive 16-2 run that stretched the lead to 89-66 and effectively sealed the rout.

Gilmore finished with 27 points and 29 rebounds for Titan Ultra but struggled with 10 turnovers.

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Phoenix makes it 2-0. #PBA50 #PBA50LID pic.twitter.com/vvAB6x0ccf

— PBA (@pbaconnect) March 15, 2026

NLEX is 2-0. #PBA50 #PBA50LID pic.twitter.com/o7QyKJRlTC

— PBA (@pbaconnect) March 15, 2026

Later in the evening, NLEX produced a late surge of its own, completing a comeback to beat Magnolia, 112-105.

The Road Warriors once again leaned on clutch execution down the stretch. After delivering the game-winning shot in their previous win against Blackwater Bossing, Robert Bolick turned playmaker this time.

Bolick found Deschon Winston in the corner for a three-pointer that pushed the lead to 111-103 with 47.3 seconds left, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Seven Road Warriors finished in double figures in a balanced offensive display.

Import Cady Lalanne led the way with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks, while Bolick, Winston, and JB Bahio added 14 points each, while rookie playmaker LJ Gonzales earned Player of the Game honors after tallying 13 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

Kevin Alas also scored 13 points, including a key four-pointer midway through the fourth that helped create breathing room for NLEX.

Magnolia, meanwhile, dropped to 0-2 despite a strong offensive showing as import Nuni Omot led the Hotshots with 32 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Jerom Lastimosa added 23 points on efficient shooting, while Rome Dela Rosa and Zav Lucero chipped in 17 and 16 points, respectively.

Magnolia appeared in control earlier after building a 56-43 lead late in the second quarter but struggled to contain NLEX’s surge in the second half.

Both Phoenix and NLEX now share the early lead in the standings with identical 2-0 records alongside Terrafirma Dyip.

Magnolia will try to avoid a deeper hole when it faces Blackwater next Sunday, while NLEX braces for a marquee matchup against the TNT Tropang 5G.

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