ALASKA IN COME-FROM-BEHIND WIN OVER BARAKO BULL
WHEN Alaska’s defensive game is on, it is one tough nut to crack.
The Aces made the stops that mattered to edge Barako Bull, 91-89, Wednesday and achieve its two most immediate goals in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome.
“It’s nice to win one with defense,” said head coach Luigi Trillo following the win that snapped his Alaska crew out of a two-game skid and kept it in the hunt for a top four slot in the ensuing quarterfinals.
“I noticed in our losses that we lacked that defensive edge, the activity,” added Trillo. “In the kind of playoffs atmosphere in a game like this, it’s all about defense.”
Indeed, Alaska was tenacious in the endgame and held Barako Bull to just a single field goal in six tries from the field in the last three minutes while coming out on top of a 14-4 exchange from a 77-85 count.
Now things could get even better for Alaska after its fourth win in eight games.
The Aces can crash the top four and earn a twice-to-beat advantage in the last eight should they prevail anew over cellar-dwelling Air21 at eliminations end Sunday.
“We feel good we’re playing Air21,” said Trillo. “Now we have a shot at fourth. The guys are healthy and I feel they’re starting to peak. It’s nice to win, set ourselves up for a chance at that top four.”
That door totally closed on Barako Bull following the loss that was its third straight and dropped it to a 4-5 overall record. Having already played out all their games in the elims, the Energy their four wins will be enough to for a quarterfinals at the close of the elims this Sunday.
Wendell McKines paced Alaska with 21 points and 15 rebounds with Cyrus Baguio adding 15 and seven. Jayvee Casio and Gabby Espinas chipped in at least 11 points each.
Conference-leading scorer Mike Singletary had a game-high 38 points and Ronjay Buenafe still wound up with 12 points despite accounting for three of the Barako misses in the stretch.
Danny Seigle was not supposed to play due to the flu but ended up with 11 points. “I should have stayed home,” quipped the veteran forward.
Barako Bull also played minus usual starting guard Emman Monfort, who is out of the conference due to a fractured right ring finger, while active consultant Rajko Toroman was also under the weather.
Yet the Energy still came up with a 10-0 start and matched the biggest lead of 10, at 49-39, in the second quarter, before battling the Aces through nine deadlocks and 11 lead changes then fading in the stretch.
For its part, Alaska’s charge gained steam with Casio leading the onslaught with two triples while Tony dela Cruz’s baseline jumper and charity and McKines capped it all up with two freebies of his own, still 12.9 seconds left.
Whatever hopes Barako Bull had of salvaging the game went out when Buenafe missed a wide open three-pointer before the final buzzer.
Buenafe also missed a technical free throw made possible when Trillo drew the referees’ ire by vehemently protesting a non-call on the driving McKines.
The ‘T’ and missed charity proved crucial, however, as it stopped cold a Barako Bull fastbreak. Although Singletary’s scoop shot made it an 89-88 count, Dela Cruz’s own freebie and McKines’ pair following his offensive rebound sealed it for Alaska. (NC)
The scores:
Alaska 91 – McKines 21 , Baguio 15, Casio 14, Espinas 11, Thoss 8, Abueva 7, Hontiveros 7, Jazul 5, Dela Cruz 3.
Barako Bull 89 – Singletary 38, Buenafe 12, Seigle 11, Weinstein 7, Villanueva 7, Pennisi 7, Intal 3, Macapagal 2, Cruz 2, Marcelo 0, Jensen 0.
Quarterscores: 20-25, 39-39, 62-64, 91-89
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