Alaska, GPort duel for last quarters slot

Game today (MOA Arena) 6:30 p.m. – GlobalPort vs Alaska Milk

Alaska Milk and GlobalPort, two teams that performed below expectations in the single-round-robin eliminations, face off in a knockout setto tonight for the last berth in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoffs.

The Aces and the Batang Pier slug it out at 6:30 p.m. at the MOA Arena, with the winner catching the last bus to the quarterfinal round while the loser joins Mahindra, Blackwater and NLEX on the sidelines.

“Last chance. No excuses. It is time for our best,” said Alaska coach Alex Compton, whose chargers found themselves in a tight spot after losing all their last seven games.

GlobalPort coach Franz Pumaren also hopes his team to come out and play their best to have a chance at making the Final Eight along with Barangay Ginebra, San Miguel Beer, Star, TNT KaTropa, Meralco, Rain or Shine, Phoenix Petroleum.

Second seed SMB takes on Phoenix, No. 3 Star tackles Rain or Shine while fourth-ranked TNT tangles with Meralco in the quarterfinals.

Awaiting the winner of the AlaskaGlobalPort showdown is top seed Ginebra.

The Aces and the Batang Pier are in a precarious position, both needing to win three KO matches to make the semifinals.

Compton said they would have a chance to survive if they play the game they put up against the Star Hotshots Wednesday.

“We just lost to an excellent, wellcoached team that deserved to win. Paul (Lee) and Justin (Melton) hit two 35-footers that were huge in the outcome,” said Compton of their 98102 loss in overtime to the Hotshots. “All losses are bothersome, but I told the guys one thing, I asked them coming into this game not for a win, not to be perfect in execution; I said I want my team back today,” Compton added. “And I felt I got my team back.”

Alaska was a shade of its old competitive form in its previous losses.

The Aces got off to a rousing 4-0 start before going on a slump. A part of their roll was a 107-79 rout of the Batang Pier on March 18.

But GlobalPort hotshot Terrence Romeo was in sickbay then, and the Batang Pier were still then awaiting the availability of import Justin Harper.