INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines?Alaska tries to put Ginebra to the sword and book a return ticket to the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup finals in Game 4 of their best-of-seven semifinal series Wednesday night at the Big Dome.

The Aces, losing finalists to Talk ?N Text last year, are in total command of the series, 3-0, but the Gin Kings exposed chinks in Alaska?s armor in Game 3 when they nearly overcame a 23-point deficit in the final quarter before bowing, 91-88.

Gametime is 7:30 p.m. with Alaska coach Tim Cone still wary of a Ginebra fightback despite the fact that no team in league history had won a series after going 0-3 down.

?We know we can?t let our guard down, certainly not against a team like Ginebra,? said Cone.

?It will be reinforced to us by that comeback and hopefully that will get us ready for Game 4.?

San Miguel shoots for a 3-1 lead in its own series with Purefoods at 5 p.m.

The Beermen broke the 1-1 tie Sunday night with an 88-76 win.

Coach Siot Tanquingcen said the Beermen showed their renewed commitment to playing solid defense. The win came just two days after the Tender Juicy Giants walloped the Beermen, 103-84, to tie the series.

?We are going back to the basics, which is to play solid defense,? said Tancquingcen. ?Whatever happens, we make sure we play as hard as we could against Purefoods.?

The Tender Juicy Giants were left wanting in offensive firepower in Game 3, a fact that did not escape coach Ryan Gregorio.

?Our offense was pathetic,? Gregorio said. ?We know for a fact that we can?t win against San Miguel if we don?t score in the high 90s.?

Gregorio said fatigue is coming into play in the series. The Tender Juicy Giants needed five games to dispose of Rain or Shine in the quarterfinals and, like Ginebra, will be playing their ninth game in 17 days.

?We rested Monday because we had no legs last Sunday,? Gregorio said. ?I have a short rotation, which means that my players play longer minutes. San Miguel has a deeper roster and fresher legs.?

Ginebra coach Jong Uichico is optimistic the Gin Kings can still pull off an improbable comeback.

?I know the odds are not in our favor,? Uichico said. ?If we can get a win on Wednesday it will just be 1-3 and I know there?s a team that has come back from that deficit.?

Cone recalled the only time he led, 3-0, in a series, Alaska lost Game 4. ?Hopefully, I?m smart enough to communicate that to my players,? he said.