Ricci Rivero scores 26 as Phoenix come back from 13 down to beat Meralco 105-101 and clinch a quarterfinal spot

Phoenix Super LPG were down 13 in the second quarter on Friday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. They came back and beat the Meralco Bolts 105-101 in the PBA Governors' Cup, and the win sent them to the quarterfinals.

Ricci Rivero led Phoenix with 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Marcellus Earlington, Phoenix's new import, had 20 points, 14 rebounds and five assists in his first PBA game.

The Fuel Masters are now 5-3 and alone in second place in Group B, ahead of Rain or Shine at 4-3. Meralco finished the elimination round at 4-6 and now has to wait on other results.

How it went

Meralco started faster. The Bolts led 27-20 after one quarter, got to 35-22 in the second, and were up 52-42 at half-time.

The third quarter belonged to Phoenix. The Fuel Masters outscored Meralco 32-24 and went into the fourth trailing only 76-74.

The fourth quarter stayed close for the first half of it. Then Phoenix scored nine straight points to go up 101-91 with about two and a half minutes to go. Earlington and Gian Mamuyac both scored in the run, and Phoenix held on from there.

Phoenix scored 31 points in the fourth quarter to Meralco's 25. Over the second half the Fuel Masters outscored the Bolts 63-49.

The numbers

Kai Ballungay added 17 points for Phoenix, Kenneth Tuffin 16, Mamuyac 13 and Tyler Tio 10. Six Phoenix players scored in double figures, and together they had 102 of the team's 105 points.

Jordon Varnado led Meralco with 36 points, seven rebounds and four assists. His 36 were more than a third of Meralco's total, and no other Bolt scored more than 18. CJ Cansino scored 18, Bong Quinto 14 and Jason Brickman 10.

Phoenix also beat Meralco 98-97 when the teams met in July, so the Fuel Masters won both group games between them. B.J. Johnson was Phoenix's import that night and scored 26. On Friday the import was Earlington, and he was the one who finished the game for them.

What it means

Phoenix have two group games left, now playing for seeding: Barangay Ginebra on Sunday and Rain or Shine on October 23. Ginebra and Blackwater are tied at 3-5, so Sunday's game matters a great deal more to Ginebra.

For Meralco, the season now depends on the teams behind it. The Bolts have played all 10 of their group games, so every result from here only moves the teams around them.

The format leaves little room. The top four teams in each group go through to the quarterfinals, which are best-of-five series against teams from the other group, with the first-placed team in one group meeting the fourth-placed team in the other. That is why second place matters to Phoenix even after clinching: a higher finish should mean a lower-placed opponent in the first round.

Scoring: Phoenix 105-101 Meralco

Phoenix: Rivero 26, Earlington 20, Ballungay 17, Tuffin 16, Mamuyac 13, Tio 10, Delos Santos 2, Escandor 1, Chua 0, Ando 0, Santos 0.

Meralco: Varnado 36, Cansino 18, Quinto 14, Brickman 10, Newsome 7, Hodge 6, Banchero 6, Bates 4, Mocon 0.

By quarter: Phoenix 20, 22, 32, 31. Meralco 27, 25, 24, 25.

Update: two days later, Ginebra beat Phoenix 106-89, with Rivero held to 10.