Hot Batang Pier battle Aces
Globaport has just felled one league heavyweight. It now has its sights on the scalp of another.
The Batang Pier tackle Alaska Friday, aiming to cop a share of the Smart Bro-PBA Philippine Cup lead at Smart Araneta Coliseum. Game time is at 4:15 p.m.
A win by GlobalPort would stretch its winning streak to a league-best four games in all and move it alongside idle leader San Miguel Beer.
The Batang Pier are still on a high following a 113-111 squeaker over erstwhile unbeaten Rain or Shine just last Friday.
Stanley Pringle’s last-second layup gave him 27 for the game and won it for the Batang Pier, but Terrence Romeo (25 points), Keith Jensen (21), Joseph Yeo and Jay Washington (combined 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists) provided immense help.
GlobalPort was also torrid from beyond the arc, making 15 of 34 three-point tries, with Jensen, Pringle and Romeo accounting for 10 of those.
Whether GlobalPort’s momentum would spill over to Friday’s game is the big question since Alaska has a more all-around game anchored on frontliners Vic Manuel, Calvin Abueva and Sonny Thoss and backcourt men Jayvee Casio and Cyrus Baguio.
Most observers predict it would still be too close to call though.
Alaska is coming off a 92-93 loss to Barangay Ginebra last Nov. 7, snapping its 3-0 start to the season touched off by a 16-point demolition of fellow pre-tournament favorite Talk N Text.
Notwithstanding, the Aces remain a potent force despite that loss to the Kings in Dubai. They were playing back-to-back games in less than 24 hours yet still managed to fight back from the depths of a 19-point deficit to almost steal the game in the dying seconds.
Now the welcome break since that defeat should be more than enough time for Alaska to regain its bearings and be ready for GlobalPort. (NC)
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