PBA: Phoenix's Tyler Tio earns Player of the Week nod

MANILA, Philippines -- Phoenix Super LPG soared to a breakthrough win in the 2022 PBA Commissioner's Cup this past week, thanks to a career-best performance from rookie guard Tyler Tio.

Picking up from where he left off against the Bay Area Dragons, Tio lifted the Fuel Masters to a huge 111-97 triumph over the erstwhile unbeaten NLEX Road Warriors last Saturday.

Tio scored a career-high 26 points, making five of his 10 three-pointers, while also dishing out seven assists. He also had a rebound in 33 minutes of play as the Fuel Masters finally barged into the win column after four games.

The former Ateneo de Manila University guard scored 18 points in the second quarter to help Phoenix Super LPG pull away from NLEX. His feat earned him the Cignal Play–PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for the period Oct. 5-9.

Tio, the 14th pick in the last draft, credited his mentor Topex Robinson for the trust and confidence given him in only his second conference in the league.

"He has been giving me confidence since Day 1. That is huge for a player. Sometimes, all you need is confidence and opportunity. Coach Topex gave that and I just want to repay the trust that he gave me," said Tio, who finished with 21 points in the team's 101-91 loss to the Dragons last October 1.

Tio and his teammates also earned praise for how they conducted themselves amid the uncertainties hounding their mother company, Phoenix Petroleum.

"We just focused on what we can control as a team. And I think the outside noise, there is nothing we can do about it," the rookie guard said. "As professionals, we just tell ourselves and our teammates to do our jobs and that was what we did."

Tio was the unanimous choice for the weekly award though his teammate Javee Mocon, Barangay Ginebra's Jamie Malonzo and Magnolia's Calvin Abueva were also considered for the weekly honor being handed out by the group covering the PBA beat.

Other players nominated for the citation were Blackwater's Baser Amer, Mike Ayonayon and Troy Rosario, Magnolia's Paul Lee, Meralco's Allein Maliksi, Bong Quinto, and Aaron Black, Ginebra's Christian Standhardinger and Scottie Thompson, RR Pogoy of TNT, and San Miguel's June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez.

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