Aces finals bound after sweep of Hotshots
Alaska Milk delivered the Sunday punch on Star, ending the Hotshots’ two-year reign as PBA Governors Cup champions and stripping coach Tim Cone and his troops of the last gem from their Triple Crown feat last year.
Playing with calmness and savvy of a champion team, the Aces upended the Hotshots, 82-77, for the third straight game, sweeping their way to a second finals appearance in PBA Season 40.
It could be a repeat of the Philippine Cup finals between Alaska Milk and San Miguel Beer or a first ever title confrontation between the Aces and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
San Miguel and Rain or Shine, deadlocked with a game apiece, resume their own best-of-five semifinal faceoff at 7 p.m. Monday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Before a good weekend crowd at the Big Dome, the Aces sustained their hot ride and finished off the Hotshots, following a come-from-behind 97-91 win in Game One and a dominant 95-74 triumph in Game Two.
In the post-game interview, Alaska coach Alex Compton said it’s not about beating coach Tim Cone or ending Star’s reign but just about winning a competition.
“For me, it’s about the competition every game. It’s about winning a basketball game. We didn’t talk about ending their reign. Our mindset was never to worry about their status,” said Compton.
With solid all-around numbers with 19 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and two steals, import Romeo Travis best typified the gutsy effort put up by the Aces in completing the sweet sweep.
Vic Manuel came through with a sterling job off the bench with 14 points and four rebounds, Cyrus Baguio and Rome dela Rosa added 11 apiece while Jvee Casio chipped in nine markers, four rebounds and two assists.
Down by four at 71-75 with time down to 3:58, Travis, Dela Rosa, Manuel and Casio worked on an 11-2 closing run to close the finals door on the Hotshots.
“I’m happy we ended it now. I didn’t want to get into Game Four where they could start shooting the lights out. And definitely I don’t want to get into Game Five,” said Compton, steering Alaska to a second finals in his fourth conference with the team.
The Hotshots were denied of another game with the Aces responding well to the adjustments by Cone.
“With their versatility, they went super big. They were huge and caused us problem. But it’s our players’ ability to adjust to something they’ve never done before,” said Compton. “In one crucial stretch, they had James (Yap) as their smallest guy, and we had to play Rome (dela Rosa) at two guard with three bigs. We’d never done that before.”
Travis scored clutch baskets and issued important assists in the closing run, highlighting a near triple-double performance that was a huge factor in their knockout punch.
With their backs against the wall, the Hotshots came out strong and dominated the first half that ended at 46-37 in their favor.
But as in the first two games, the Aces stayed calm and composed, getting into the game at the outset of the third and going for the kill at the finish.
Travis himself delivered the lethal blows on a drive, a three-point shot and an assist to Vic Manuel that made it 81-77 with time down to 30. 1 seconds. (SB)
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
