After a woeful start for Alaska, it was Dondon Hontiveros who ignited the rally and eventually put the Aces in the pole position ahead of his old team San Miguel Beer.
Waxing hot early, the Cebuano Hotshot finished with 18 points behind 3-of-5 shooting from three-point country to help Alaska nab a 87-76 Game 6 victory and force a winner-take-all Game 7.
“We’re happy that we can make this a special one and force a deciding game,” Hontiveros said.
Despite the win, Hontiveros still believes that the Aces will go into Game 7 as underdogs.
“Yung panalo namin sa Game 1, we just gave ourselves a chance na may guaranteed Game 5 eh. Against that very dominant of a team, we’re just excited for the deciding game,” Hontiveros said. “If ma-execute lang namin yung adjustment, malaki yung chance namin to get the championship.”
Hontiveros also shrugged at the thought of him wanting to win the title more because it will come at the expense of his old ballclub, saying, “Di ko iniisip na sweeter kasi San Miguel ang kalaban. But if it’s your first All-Filipino, that would be much, much sweeter.”
But what does Alaska have in its arsenal which would give the team the edge in Game 7?
“Pure heart,” Hontiveros said. “We’ll just give our best.” (RL)
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