ALASKA goes for the jugular against beleaguered Star in Game Three of their best-of-five semifinal series of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Aces shoot for a sweep of the series in their 5 p.m. encounter.
The Fred Uytengsu franchise erected a 2-0 lead in the series, following a dominating 95-74 victory in Game Two on Friday to push the defeding champion Hotshots in the brink of elimination.
Unlike in their come-from-behind 97-91 win in Game One, Alaska was in control from the get go behind A relentless defense and balanced offense.
“In the second half [Game Two], our guys asserted themselves defensively,” said Aces Head Coach Alex Compton, who admitted he learned the value of defense as the main ingredient to success from Hotshots Coach Tim Cone.
“Most coaches go up here and talk about defense. One of the things Coach Tim mentioned was defense is all about character,” he added. Import Romeo Travis got plenty of help in Game Two with eight Alaska players hitting at least seven points.
Compton said his second unit played a big role in Game Two with Calvin Abueva, Noy Baclao and Ping Exciminiano combining for 31 of the Aces’ 57 bench points. The Star’s second unit scored just 29.
“They played like All-Stars,” Cone of Baclao and Exciminiano said. “Baclao made shots and played great defense. I love Ping [Exciminiano]. He hit two three-pointers and we’re up by six at the half.”
This is the first time since the 2013 Commissioner’s Cup finals—which they won by sweeping Barangay Ginebra San Miguel—that the Aces are ahead 2-0 in a best-of-five series.
But Compton is not counting Star out yet saying Cone’s squad has the tools to recover and an import—Marqus Blakely—who can dominate.
“It’s finished if we win the third game. But Star is a great team and Coach Tim is awesome,” said Compton, who will try to get back in the finals after losing to San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Cup championship series.
Just like in Game One, Blakely, Peter June Simon and James Yap carried the scoring load for Star, while Cone’s usual reliables, particularly Joe Devance, again went missing in Game Two. Devance had six points in Game One and was held to just two points in Game Two.
The last time the Hotshots franchise was 0-2 down in a best-of-five series was in 1999 Governors’ Cup also against Alaska, with Cone as the coach. They went on to lose the series.
Image credits: PBA Image