INQUIRER Sports

GAMES TODAY (Araneta Coliseum)
4 p.m.?Barako Bull vs Coca-Cola
6:30 p.m.?Purefoods vs Barangay Ginebra

PANABO, Davao del Norte, Philippines?WHO?S going to stop Willie Miller?

The former two-time MVP dropped five triples on the way to 25 points last night, some of them truly clutch, as Alaska rolled to its second straight win, 85-74, over San Miguel Beer in a KFC-PBA Philippine Cup encounter at the Panabo Sports Center here.

Just four nights after churning out the season?s first triple double, the 6-foot dynamo was again at the vanguard of the Alaska game as the Aces dealt the Beermen a second straight loss while grabbing temporary grip of the solo lead.

Miller, after a 19-point, 12-assist, 11-rebound performance in a 99-83 triumph over Barako Bull on Wednesday, hit a tight triple and then fed LA Tenorio for two more treys in a telling 9-0 spurt that took the fight out of San Miguel, 78-70, heading into the final three minutes.

This is the first 0-2 start by San Miguel since the 2008 Fiesta Cup and its first 0-2 start in an all-Filipino conference since the 06-07 season. The Beermen led by one in the opening minutes and trailed by as many as 15 in the second quarter in the road game presented by Phoenix Petroleum.

?Willie and LA played with great heart down the stretch,? Alaska coach Tim Cone posted on his Twitter page shortly after the victory over the ?tough, talented SMB team.?

San Miguel made a game out of it, though, coming within 68-69 with under five minutes left before that barrage of three-pointers buried the overwhelming title favorites.

Miller also had nine rebounds even as Alaska tallied a total of 12 triples. The Aces also held the Beermen to just 28 first half points, the lowest thus far in the young tournament.

Tenorio went on to finish with 18 points, while Dondon Hontiveros and Arwind Santos tossed in 15 each to pace San Miguel.

Meanwhile, powerhouse sister squads Purefoods and Barangay Ginebra slug it out in the featured game of another double-header today at the Araneta Coliseum, both seeking follow-up victories to impressive season-opening wins.

The Gin Kings were the first to deal the Beermen a loss, a 98-86 beating Wednesday night which also marked the return to active duty?and to being the team?s Spark?of Mark Caguioa.

Game time is 6:30 p.m. with the odds stacked just about even as the Tender Juicy Giants will also be coming off an impressive season debut, a 93-80 ripping of the Burger King Whoppers in the inaugurals a week ago.

Caguioa was back to his old go-to self, shooting all but two of his 17 points in the third period when the Gin Kings broke away to this early, pierce the bubble of invincibility that surrounded San Miguel after it acquired two key figures in the off-season.

Jay-Jay Heltebrand played like the reigning MVP and also had 17 points as Ginebra showed its true worth early even with Caguioa still just at 80-percent capacity, according to coach Jong Uichico.

?It?s nice to win the first game,? Uichico had said. ?But we still have a long season ahead of us, a lot of time to make adjustments.?

In the first game, Coca-Cola and Barako Bull also seek to bounce back from season-opening losses in the game slated at 4 p.m.

The Tigers, who took a 75-96 beating at the hands of Sta. Lucia on Friday, are installed as the slight picks over the Energy Boosters who are listed as the weakest team on paper but are playing with a lot of energy and hunger.

Dennis Espino, who has held to eight points in his first game in a non-Sta. Lucia uniform, Asi Taulava and Alex Cabagnot will be the main men for the Tigers.

The Scores:

ALASKA 85?Miller 25, Tenorio 18, Hugnatan 8, Cariaso 7, Fonacier 6, Devance 6, Ferriols 6, Borboran 5, Dela Cruz 2, Burtscher 0.

SAN MIGUEL 74?Hontiveros 15, Santos 15, Pena 13, Pennisi 9, Ildefonso 6, Villanueva 5, Racela 5, Tugade 4, Custodio 3, Miranda 0, Eman 0, Cortez 0.

Quarters: 19-12, 38-28, 64-53, 85-74