MANILA, Philippines—Nobody embodied the phrase “calm, cool and collected” quite like Phoenix forward Jason Perkins on Friday in the
PBA Philippine Cup
.
The Fuel Masters surprised the grand slam-seeking TNT, 95-81, at Ynares Sports Center in Montalban, Rizal, behind the standout efforts of Perkins.
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But it wasn’t just his numbers that stood out—the Filipino-American forward played nearly 38 minutes without committing a single foul against the defensive-minded Tropang Giga.
“[I’m] just staying in the moment,” said Perkins.
“My teammates, coaches and coach Jamike (Jarin), keep me accountable and tell me not to get ahead of myself. Sometimes I get emotional so they just bring me back down to earth to stay in the moment.”
The disciplined performance helped Phoenix improve to 2–3 in the young season.
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PBA: Jason Perkins’ return fuels Phoenix past Meralco for first win
Perkins, a product of La Salle, finished with 27 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a block in the win. It was a big bounce-back effort after missing the team’s early games due to illness.
“[In my] first game back, I cramped up in the third. Last game, [I] cramped up in the fourth. This game, I didn’t cramp up,” he said with a smile.
“We have really good S&C (strength and conditioning) coaches and PTs, so they’ve been helping me a lot.” Up next for Perkins and the Fuel Masters is a tough matchup against powerhouse San Miguel Beer on Sunday, May 11, at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.