It’s not just the breaks of the game which did Alaska good, but also the Christmas break.
Banged up after successive games until Christmas Day, the Aces got a much needed reprieve, and this proved to be vital in their series-clinching victory over Rain or Shine, posting a 79-76 Game 6 win Sunday to advance to the Philippine Cup Finals.
One of the biggest beneficiaries of that break was Dondon Hontiveros, who lit up the E-Painters in that crucial payoff period.
“Honestly, the break really helped Dondon,” said coach Alex Compton. “He had a sprained ankle, but as a shooter, when your feet aren’t under you, it’s really hard to make shots. Dondon struggled to make shots early in the series, he also had a calf injury, so the break really helped him recover to get his legs under him. He also got that look in his eyes that wanted me to call his number. That was huge.”
But aside from Hontiveros’ heroics, Compton praised the Aces for their defensive intensity in the first game of 2015.
“Defensively, the first half was tremendous. Rain or Shine is so good offensively, but we only gave up 28 points,” he said “Coach Yeng (Guiao) is so good that in the third quarter, they killed us.”
“I told the guys when the fourth quarter started that we had bad offense, turned the ball over, had some breakdown defensively, but it’s only four points. We still have 12 minutes,” Compton recalled, as Rain or Shine came back from an early eight-point deficit to take a 60-56 advantage after three cantos.
“They made some big shots, but ang sa akin, ang pinakamaganda dyan, nanalo kami sa defense, sa stops. That’s the big thing and I’m so proud of that. That’s really character. Di ko alam kung saan nanggagaling yan, but I’m just really proud of these guys.”
With the E-Painters now dispatched, Alaska now goes up against a well-rested San Miguel squad. And Compton isn’t holding back on his praises for the Beermen, as well as for his former coach Leo Austria, who he will be pitting his coaching prowess with this time.
“Without question, they’ve been the best team this conference,” Compton said. “I’m so happy for him now, and I’m also a little bit worried because he’s such a good coach. He’s got four to five players that are legitimate national team players at worst. Those guys are good.”
Game 1 of the Philippine Cup Finals will be played on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. (RL)
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