It must be the Gucci headband.
That's what Phoenix import Eugene Phelps said in the aftermath of a stellar game in which he had 50 points, 17 rebounds and eight blocks in a 113-107 win over Columbian Dyip on Wednesday in the PBA Governors' Cup.
Sporting a Gucci band on his head, Phelps battered his foes on all fronts at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. He was virtually unstoppable on both ends of the floor.
"That's my drip. Drip means swag. So my drip is hella high right now. I saw it, I bought it," Phelps said after the game. "The Gucci band helped me out, so yeah."
To PBA fans, this Phelps' big game shoulnd't have come as a surprise. After all, it was his third 50-point game in the first play-for-pay league in Asia.
His career-high in the tournament was a 53-point output against Blackwater in the 2017 Commissioner's Cup. Phelps, who also had 21 rebounds in that game, steered the team then to a 118-116 double overtime win at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The American reinforcement's PBA debut was just as impressive. Bloodied and all, Phelps bullied his way to 50 points, 16 rebounds and six dimes.
To say that he can be explosive is an understatement.
After Wednesday's outburst, Phelps was quick to play down his Herculean effort. He said the team did everything it could to repulse a gritty Columbian Dyip, who clawed back from 12 points down to make it a back-and-forth battle.
Phelps made special mention of Calvin Abueva, who played his first game in a Phoenix shirt after a stunning trade a few weeks ago. The former Alaska star was in classic form, finishing with 12 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
"Calvin helped us out a whole lot. He just brings that energy. This was a whole team effort," Phelps said. "Just a good team (win), hopefully we build on that."
If the team continues to play a high-octane game, there's no doubt in Phelps' mind the Fuel Masters can go deep in the playoffs this year.
"We just gotta play our game," he said. "I feel like we can probably go to the semis, maybe even the Finals. We'll see how it goes."
Phoenix coach Louie Alas, though, found his wards still lacking defensive intensity. And that's what the team wants to address before its August 26 game against NorthPort.
"We're still not tough defensively," said Alas (in Filipino), whose team gave up 37 points in the third period.