MORE than clinching its 14th PBA title with no less than a sweep, Alaska takes to the floor today looking to regain old glory under a coach owner Fred Uytengsu gambled on following the sudden departure of Tim Cone for greener pastures last year.
ALL WEEK long following the May 13 polls, I spent my time gathering the names of athletes past and present and people connected to sports one way or the other who ran for a post in the just concluded elections.
Hot start, cold start—it really didn’t matter. Alaska still has complete mastery of Barangay Ginebra. The Aces wiped away an early seven-point deficit with ease and all but crushed the spirits of the Gin Kings with a 104-90 win last night in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup title playoffs at Mall of Asia Arena.
Alaska coach Luigi Trillo believes his Aces didn’t get anything other than a 1-0 lead by winning Game 1 of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup title series with Barangay Ginebra.
Bodies are crashing to the floor, elbows are flying, and the intensity is just a notch higher—Alaska coach Luigi Trillo reminded his players that this is not another sport, this is just PBA finals basketball.
Alaska couldn’t have started any better, Barangay Ginebra couldn’t have come out any worse and Game 1 of the much-hyped PBA Commissioner’s Cup title series ended emphatically in favor of the Aces at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
It started with a 14-0 run, then Alaska just kept pushing the lead and ended up stunning crowd darling Ginebra, 87-70, in game one of their best-of-five finals in the 2013 PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday.
Barangay Ginebra, fiery and intense, likes to run at any given chance. Call the Gin Kings: Fire. Alaska, cool and composed, likes to set the tempo every game. Call the Aces: Ice.
God helps those who help themselves, as the saying goes. And for Jay-Jay Helterbrand, help from above couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.
NLEX got its big man back and scored a big win over EA Regens, 103-86, yesterday to clinch the No. 1 spot and the first outright semifinal berth in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup at Ynares Sports Arena.
Blackwater Sports got the crucial win it needed but Fruitas also survived a thriller to keep its own semifinal bid alive in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup yesterday at JCSGO Gym in Cubao.
He helped Ginebra shut the door on a gritty Talk N’ Text down the stretch in the pivotal game five with his gutsy drives — L.A. Tenorio is not called “Showtime” for nothing.
Barangay Ginebra didn’t need its trademark comeback on this one. The Gin Kings posted a wire-to-wire 111-103 triumph over walking wounded Talk ‘N Text last night to book the second title series slot in the Cebuana Lhuillier-PBA Commissioner’s Cup before another overflow crowd at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
