Phoenix head coach Willy Wilson at the sidelines of their game against TerraFirma, November 12, 2025 at the Ynares Center in Montalban. PBA Media
RIZAL – Seven games into the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup, the Phoenix Fuel Masters are still in their "adjustment period."
Phoenix head coach Willy Wilson made the statement shortly after the team snapped its four-game skid with a win over the Terrafirma Dyip, 107-76, on Wednesday.
READ: Phoenix overwhelms Terrafirma, snaps 4-game skid
Wilson admitted the team is still in the midst of embracing their roles, citing Kai Ballungay, who is currently playing as a wing for Phoenix.
"Bata pa yung team ko. We're really trying to figure out how to close games," he said during the post-game press conference.
"Si Kai ginagawa ko siyang wing, pero for the longest time ang nilalaro niya sa ano is big. Kahit nasa Ateneo siya, big man siya. So the adjustment period is not only for myself but for the players as well," he said.
Despite the adjustment in his position, Ballungay continues to deliver for the Fuel Masters. He posted a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds in their win.
"It feels good to get this one, but like Coach Willy said, our ultimate goal is to make the playoffs and keep stacking wins. I think tonight was a good step in the right direction. It's a credit to the coaching staff. We see how hard they work to give us the blueprint to go out there and execute," Ballungay said.
"I'm never chasing stats. That's something in my career. Even since college, in Ateneo, that's not been a focus for me. I just want to do what the coaches tell me to do each and every game," he added.
Ballungay said he will remain focused on doing his part for the team and continue buying into their coaches' game plan.
While Phoenix remains in the lower part of the standings, Wilson said they are taking things one game at a time.
"We're just trying to grow every single game. Yes, the ultimate goal is to make the playoffs, but at the same time, we want to be somewhere different. We want to have improved from day one to whenever our conference ends," he said.
Up next for the Fuel Masters is the Barangay Ginebra, led by coach Tim Cone, a familiar face to Wilson.
"Another game against one of my former coaches I played for. Coach Tim is actually the coach that drafted me into the PBA, so it's a very, very big game," Wilson said.
"But at the same time, we're just focusing on what we need to do as a team to get that win. We're not looking past that. We're not looking at, oh, this is the game that we need to get that's going to propel us to the playoffs. Every game is just as important as the other, and that's how we're going to approach it," he added.
Phoenix will take on Ginebra on Sunday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.