ACES, BOOSTERS CLASH FOR SOLO LEAD
Their unbeaten run stopped Wednesday, Alaska has little time to talk things over and brace up for what could well be another tough battle against Petron Blaze Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Aces hope to recover quickly from their 68-75 drubbing by the San Mig Coffee Mixers while the Boosters look to sustain the momentum of their five-game romp as they clash at 7:30 p.m. for the solo lead in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Coach Luigi Trillo said the challenge for his team is how they react from the loss to the Mixers.
“We lost to the same Petron team in the Sinulog Cup finals in Cebu during the preseason. (Renaldo) Balkman is playing really well, and (Alex) Cabagnot, coming back into the lineup, is another guy we have to watch out for. Petron is fluid and has a five-game winning streak. It’s not going to be easy,” said Trillo.
Petron coach Olsen Racela is excited to play the Aces, expecting a good match-up that can well be a good test for his wards.
“We’ve accomplished something pero di pa namin nagagawa lahat. The Alaska game will be a gauge to see how far we’ve come as a team,” said Racela.
Despite injuries to Cabagnot, Chris Lutz and Danny Ildefonso, the Boosters strung up five straight victories after their losing conference debut against the GlobalPort Batang Pier.
Balkman was Petron’s catalyst and leader in that run, steady in all those five games versus San Mig Coffee, Barangay Ginebra, Meralco, Air21 and Barako Bull.
“I can be the shortest (among all imports) but I’ve got the biggest heart. When I’m on the court, that’s what I am – unbreakable,” said Balkman.
Petron played A-1 basketball on both ends on its return from a poor shooting night, and the Boosters kept their winning streak with a 91-78 whipping of former coach Rajko Toroman and his new team Barako Bull Sunday.
After making only 60 points (the team’s least in a game in 12 years) on 32 percent shooting against Air21, the Boosters came back on an attack mode, particularly Balkman who poured in 33 points.
Arwind Santos, Ronald Tubid and Junmar Fajardo also scored in double figures and Petron hit at a 41.4-percent clip in dominating the Barako Bull side.
The Boosters set the pace throughout, leading by as many as 25 points at 66-41 on back-to-back three-pointers by Santos and Jay Washington late in the third quarter.
Balkman was all business to the finish, collecting 14 points, four assists, four steals and one block on top of his 33 points – his second best output in the local pro league.
“He’s really been our catalyst and leader especially on defense. His intensity and energy rub off on his teammates,” said Racela of the former New York Knick and Denver Nugget.
“That’s how I am. I play every game as if it’s my last,” said the prolific Puerto Rican player, the tourney’s leading scorer.
A crowd-pleaser, Balkman went 14-of-24 from the field, including a couple of rim-rattling jams versus the Energy Cola. (SB)
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