Alaska’s uphill battle continues
Games today (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 4:30 p.m. – Magnolia vs Columbian 6:45 p.m. – Meralco vs San Miguel
Enjoying some sort of resurgence, Alaska won for the second time in its last three games, taking Blackwater as its newest victim, 101-91, to keep its playoff hopes in the PBA Governors’ Cup alive last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Aces used a telling 12-2 salvo to seize control at the end of first and didn’t let go all the way to the finish in the Petron Saturday Special showdown to catch up with Elite at 2-6.
After a 0-5 start, Jeff Cariaso’s charges are now well within striking distance of eighthrunning Magnolia and NorthPort (both 3-4).
Settling in under new coach Cariaso, the Aces posed serious threats to their opponents. The boost in confidence started when they pushed defending champion Hotshots to the limit before yielding a 90-95 loss and afterwards scored a breakthrough at the expense of Rain or Shine, 78-71.
They nearly followed it up with an upset against pacesetting TNT KaTropa if not for a missed game-winner in regulation, and last night, Cariaso’s wards pulled through again.
“I wanna commend the guys for just really sticking to this process that we’re in,” said Cariaso.
“I’m proud of the guys for continuing to come in each and every day. They’re focused, they’re engaged, they’re inspired. Despite our record, they still came out and really gave their best so slowly (this is) looking like the team we’re kind of expecting,” he added.
Jeron Teng topscored with 19 points with eight rebounds and three assists and Abu Tratter contributed 18-6 to ease the burden on import Frank House (18-11) while Vic Manuel had 12-5. Tratter and Manuel starred in Alaska’s hot first quarter that set the tone for the 10-point win.
Later, Ginebra continued its streak, grinding out a 98-89 verdict over Rain or Shine to gain a share of fourth with idle Meralco.
The Gin Kings closed out the tight contest with nine unanswered points built around big plays from Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, and Stanley Pringle to clear the way for their fourth victory in six outings. The E-Painters fell to 2-6.
Notes: TNT veteran Jayson Castro and NorthPort rookie Robert Bolick will be sidelined for some time after suffering injuries in their respective team’s matches. Castro sustained a calf injury in the KaTropa’s 113-126 loss to NLEX last Friday and would need close to a month to recover. TNT team manager Gabby Cui said Castro was diagnosed with a “soleus muscle strain.” “He needs rest and rehab of three to four weeks,” he told The STAR. Bolick will sit it out much longer as he undergoes procedure for the knee that he injured in their 127-119 victory over San Miguel last Wednesday. The scores: First Game Alaska 101 – Teng 19, House 18, Tratter 18, Manuel 12, Banchero 9, Thoss 7, Racal 6, Pascual 4, Ayaay 3, Casio 3, Enciso 2.
Blackwater 91 – Blakely 19, Canaleta 18, Parks 14, Belo 14, Desiderio 11, Cruz 5, Heruela 4, Cortez 2, Sumang 2, Tolomia 2, Al-Hussaini 0, Quarterscores: 29-19, 60-36, 84-75, 101-91 Second Game Ginebra 98 – Brownlee 39, Tenorio 11, Thompson 11, Pringle 9, Slaughter 8, Dela Cruz 8, Aguilar 8, Caperal 4, Mariano 0, Chan 0.
Rain or Shine 89 – Alexander 20, Norwood 14, Belga 13, Nambatac 10, Mocon 8, Torres 7, Ponferada 5, Daquioag 4, Rosales 3, Borboran 3, Exciminiano 2.
Quarterscores: 28-20, 46-43, 69-75, 98-89