Aces eye 2-0 lead, ready for Hotshots comeback in game 2
Unwittingly, Alaska Milk coach Alex Compton has given away what they intend to do for the rest of the series after their come-from-behind victory Wednesday night.
“Kung pwede ko lang hindi sabihin, but what we really have to do is just to be ourselves. It’s about being who we are, playing to our identity,” said Compton.
In doing that in the second half Wednesday, the Alaska Milk Aces fought back from the depths of an 18-point deficit and stunned the Star Hotshots, 97-91, in the opener of their PBA Governors Cup best-of-five semifinal showdown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
READ: Aces rally past ‘kuya’ Hotshots for Game 1 win
“We’ll lose some and we’ll win some but we have to play who we are,” Compton insists, hinting at continuing to be assertive and aggressive as they try to make it two in a row versus the Hotshots at the resumption of their Final Four duel Friday also at the Big Dome.
Game time is at 7 p.m. with the Hotshots expected to wage a fightback to get back in the series.
The Hotshots, certainly, can’t be counted out just at 0-1.
They have twice overcome a tough adversity in the tournament, rallying from a 1-4 start then hurdling the Globalport Batang Pier with their twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
“I’m sure Purefoods (Star) will come back and we have to be ready,” said Compton.
Star forward Marc Pingris said they have to check their attitude towards the game before thinking of getting even in Game Two.
He thought they self-destructed in Game One as they didn’t stick together as a team as the Aces pressed their own bid from the halftime break.
READ: ‘Inter-barangay teams can beat us,’ says Pingris after Star loss
“Kapag kami nagkanya-kanya, kahit sino, kahit inter-barangay tatalunin kami,” rued Pingris. “Nasa sa amin rin kasi yun, kapag kami willing maglaro, yung disiplina namin andun, mahirap kami talunin.
“Nawala talaga yung focus namin, nawala yung disiplina namin. Kailangan dapat kung humahabol man sila o kami yung lamang, kailangan kalma lang,” Pingris pointed out.
“Ang nangyayari kasi kapag nakakahabol na sila, gusto namin bawiin agad. Hindi dapat ganun. Kailangan hindi kami nagkakanya-kanya. Lima pa rin yung naglalaro dapat.”
The Hotshots led by 18 at 41-23 in the second quarter and sat on a 51-36 cushion at the half.
The Aces, however, erased their deficit virtually in a huff in the second half.
The playoff top seeds ride the momentum of back-to-back come-from-behind victories in going for a 2-0 series lead versus the Hotshots. (SB)
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