![TNT's Kelly Williams vs. Phoenix Fuel Masters' Jason Perkins at PBA Philippine Cup](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2024/04/PBA-Images1-43.jpg)
TNT's Kelly Williams vs. Phoenix Fuel Masters' Jason Perkins at the PBA Philippine Cup. –PBA images
MANILA (Philippines) TNT's Kelly Williams outscored fellow big man Jason Perkins by one point as Tropang Giga defeated Fuel Masters 108-101 in the PBA Philippine Cup.
Williams topped Perkins with a monster double-double of 17 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals.
However, the TNT veteran did not leave the competition without offering flowers to his Phoenix opponent.
read: PBA: TNT fights back from 20-point deficit to defeat Phoenix with important win
„Park is always a great opponent and I love playing against him. After every game, I just tell him to keep doing what he's doing and stay aggressive, to see his growth as a player. I’m glad I was able to do that,” Williams said Wednesday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
“If he can stay locked in and have the right attitude, he’s going to do even more damage in the next few games.”
The Tropang Giga improved its chances of making the playoffs with a 5-4 record thanks to its 18-year league veteran, while the Phoenix finished with a 3-6 record, second in the league behind Converge's 1-8 record. I lost because of a bad card.
read: Jason Perkins' sneaker switch temporarily brings good fortune to Phoenix
However, the loss to the Fuel Masters wasn't without fireworks, as Perkins had 26 points and 10 rebounds.
However, the numbers on the stat sheet don't tell the whole story.
Perkins scored 21 points in the first half and was stopped by Williams in the second half of the game, limiting him to just five points.
“I just wanted to be in front of Park tonight and give him some resistance and make him a little bit uncomfortable. I think he was a little too comfortable in the first half and was able to get what he wanted, but It's part of the game and we were able to adjust,“ Williams said.
“I just wanted to put myself in a position to stop a talented player like Perkins.”