SAME DEFENSIVE MINDSET FROM START TO FINISH
Just when everyone thought that San Miguel was going to cruise to a 2-1 series lead in the Philippine Cup Finals after erecting a big lead late in the third quarter , Alaska decided shift to another gear.
Falling behind by 21, the Aces limited the Beermen to just six points in the final period to turn the game around and take a 78-70 Game 3 victory.
The one who led that fightback was no other than old reliable Sonny Thoss.
“These guys didn’t give up. They came in with a defensive mindset in a 48-minute game,” Thoss said. “It’s not over until the buzzer sounds and the guys just let it all on the line.”
The 33-year-old slotman scored eight points in that payoff period and finished with 10 points and four rebounds in the victory.
Despite holding a one-game edge in the best-of-7 Finals series, Thoss echoed coach Alex Compton when he downplayed the team’s series edge.
“Like what coach said, it doesn’t mean anything, it’s just 2-1. We’ve got to take it one game at a time. And for us to take advantage of this, we’ve got to play the next game with the same defensive mindset,” he said.
Putting up late fightbacks has become a habit for Alaska lately, but Thoss said that just like any other player, he never really like falling behind big.
“I don’t like going down by that much, but if it goes well in the end, I’m fine with it.” (RL)
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