RESTED ACES IN CRUCIAL CLASH WITH KINGS
Bring out the triangles.
The fate of Alaska in the PLDT Home Telpad PBA Governors’ Cup may partly rest in the hands of former Aces player and now Barangay Ginebra San Miguel coach Jeffrey Cariaso.
Not that Cariaso needs to reaffirm long-ago allegiances at the expense of his current alliance, but he will have the last say when the Kings take on the Aces in a most crucial match Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Gametime is at 5:45 p.m.
Ginebra, with a 5-2 win-loss record, craves this victory to break away from a three-way tie heading to the quarterfinal playoffs and secure a twice-to-beat edge. But Alaska, at 3-4 and seventh place, faces a must-survive situation to avert any complications that will arise if it fails to win one of two remaining games in the eliminations.
The Kings are coming off a 105-98 coasting win over San Miguel Beer in a game which saw the scores separated by 21 points at one stage.
They now share top spot with defending champion and Grand Slam-seeking San Mig Super Coffee and Talk ‘N Text and may be determined enough to stay there.
Other than the momentum of back-to-back triumphs, something else could fuel Barangay Ginebra: dark memories of its crushing defeat to Alaska in the 2013 Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
If the bitterness remains, then that would be motivation enough to spill the Aces all over the playing court.
Alaska continues to fight an uphill battle, first, with the resignation of coach Luigi Trillo, the man who steered the Aces to the conquest of the Kings last season, then the 123-72 rollover to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
Rays of light have streaked amid the dark however: A redeeming win over San Mig Super Coffee and firm denials by their team owner that the franchise is for sale.
The sun could shine through if they get past the Kings and Cariaso, a member of Alaska’s 1996 Grand Slam team with Bong Hawkins, Jojo Lastimosa, Poch Juinio and Johnny Abarrientos.
Below the Aces in the standings are resurgent Barako Bull (3-5), which has won its last two games with replacement import Allen Durham; Meralco (2-6); and Globalport (1-7). The Batang Pier, following their 106-102 loss to the Air21 Express Tuesday, have bowed out of contention, but both the Energy and the Bolts still have a shot at dragging Alaska down the gutter.
Above them, Rain or Shine and Air21, tied with 5-3 cards, and San Miguel Beer (4-4) hug the inside track in the race for top four twice-to-beat slots. But a slip by any of these teams, coupled with Alaska winning its last two games, could vault the Aces up the leaderboard and turn everything upside down.
Alaska is rested, coming off a seven-day break after its face-saving victory over San Mig and Tim Cone, the man calling the shots on the Aces bench when they swept all three conferences 18 years ago.
Ginebra, on the other hand, is playing its second game in three days, a factor that could go either way, depending perhaps on where one man’s sympathy lies.
The Aces need this win badly. As much as they did after the 51-point loss to Rain or Shine.
Another timely victory could be on the way. (WJRHT)
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