Hardworking Abueva tows Alaska past Ginebra

With a bit of everything from Shane Edwards and Calvin Abueva and key plays from RJ Jazul at the finish, Alaska Milk squeezed past Barangay Ginebra, 86-80, and gained the solo second place in the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Friday night.

Edwards produced 25 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks, Abueva came up with 17 markers, eight boards, two dish-offs and one steal while Jazul scored all of their last seven points as the Aces broke off a tie with the San Miguel Beermen at second spot with a fourth straight win and 4-1 overall.

The Gin Kings saw the end of their own three-game run and dropped to joint fourth place with the Blackwater Elite and the Mahindra Enforcers at 3-3.

The Aces held off the Kings in a well-fought battle, pulling through in the end on four crucial charities by Jazul in the closing seconds.

Alaska weathered Greg Slaughter’s first-half storm and Othyus Jeffers’ second half explosion.

The Aces yielded 30 points to Slaughter and Aguilar but held the rest of the Kings to only nine in taking the opening half at 42-39.

Completely contained earlier on was Jeffers who had only two points on two free throws in 21:03 minutes of action in the first two quarters.

The Ginebra import was 0-of-13 from the field, groping for his shots in the face of Calvin Abueva’s leech like guarding.

Nevertheless, the Kings took command early, leading by eight at 28-20 before Alaska came through with a decisive tear to surge ahead at 38-30.

Back-to-back slams by Edwards and a booming trey by Jazul highlighted a run pushing the Aces upfront at 30-28.

Pressing their attack, the Aces led by as many as 14 early in the third, but the Kings were able to regroup, unleashing their own searing run to pull even at 61-all.
Joe Devance went 5-of-10 from the field to lead the Ginebra third-quarter fightback.

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