TARGET: 3-0 & SOLO LEAD
It isn’t Friday the 13th but ghosts and goblins will be lurking somewhere nonetheless, looking for an ambitious victim to claim in the PBA Philippine Cup on the eve of Halloween.
Before night falls Friday, either the Alaska Aces or the Meralco Bolts, both unbeaten and both eyeing solo leadership, will be lying in ruin, their defeated form carried off by the screeching spectres to the Netherworld.
They clash at 4:15 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with the Aces looking to add the Bolts to an impressive array of conquests following victories over Purefoods Star and Talk ‘N Text, the consensus big guns in the tournament.
Norman Black, the Meralco coach, knows the caliber of the team they are up against.
“Alaska has shown its strength by taking out those two teams so this will be our biggest challenge so far this conference,” said Black. “The keys are we have to do a good job against their pressure defense and we must control our defensive rebounds.”
Black also singled out one Aces player to be the focus of the Bolts’ attention.
“Keeping Calvin [Abueva] off the offensive boards will be important,” said Black.
The Tropang Texters took their eyes off the former San Sebastian dervish on Wednesday and paid a terrible price.
Abueva torched the Texters with 22 points and hung 26 rebounds around their necks. Worse, he burned rubber in a dying-second fast break play and beat the buzzer with a floater from up close to lift Alaska past TNT, 100-98, after falling behind by 18 points.
The Bolts went through a wringer in their first two games, needing two overtimes to put away Barako Bull and a third extra period to subdue newcomer Blackwater, 83-75. Meralco can’t ill afford any form of power shortage against an efficiently organized team like Aces, now run like a machine by coach Alex Compton.
The winner will break away from a three-way tie with San Miguel Beer.
Bannering Alaska aside from Abueva are Sonny Thoss, Cyrus Baguio, Dondon Hontiveros and Jvee Casio, all responding positively to a less structured offensive system that has allowed them to improvise every one and then.
For Meralco, on the other hand, will be Cliff Hodge, Sean Anthony, Mike Cortez, Jared Dillinger, Gary David, Rey Guevarra and the veteran Danny Ildefonso. (WJRHT)
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