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.
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.
PLAYING in a do-or-die game for the third time in close to a month, Barangay Ginebra did what it is traditionally very good at: Survive.
Ranidel De Ocampo hit a triple with 33.7 seconds left last night and boosted Talk ‘N Text past Barangay Ginebra, 85-79, to forge a 1-1 tie in their Cebuana Lhuillier PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four series before the tournament’s biggest crowd at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
DENZEL Bowles nailed a jumper from the top of the key with 6.8 seconds remaining as San Mig Coffee hammered out a thrilling 71-69 victory over top seed Alaska to grab a 1-0 lead in their Cebuana Lhuillier PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinal showdown at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
COMING out with boundless energy, Barangay Ginebra made Talk ‘N Text look truly ugly on this one. After yielding the first bucket of the game, the Gin Kings dropped one blitzkrieg after another and bombed the Tropang Texters back to the stone age, 104-81, to take a 1-0 lead in their Cebuana Lhuillier PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series.
The weakest part of Vernon Macklin’s game has always been his free throw shooting. Not last night. Not when Barangay Ginebra’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup stint was on the line, and not when the Gin Kings were on the verge of completing another playoff comeback for the ages.
Not that he’s playing favorites, but Talk ‘N Text coach Norman Black just doesn’t want to face either Alaska or Rain or Shine in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals—and with a twice-to-beat disadvantage at that.
ERIC Dawson will be a marked man when the Meralco Bolts tackle the streaking Barangay Ginebra Kings in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup today at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
San Mig Coffee shoots for a fourth straight win Sunday against a Barangay Ginebra side that just wants to get out of the rut in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup eliminations at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Things went on as they had been going thus far for Alaska and Barangay Ginebra. The Aces continued to cruise unscathed while the Kings still couldn’t buy a break.
Keith Benson topped off a 30-point night with a three-point play in the final 38 seconds, helping Talk ‘N Text seal an 86-83 decision over a hard-finishing Air21 side last night in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup eliminations at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
COACH Yeng Guiao knows that Rain or Shine blew a golden chance Friday night. Rain or Shine hit just 9-of-33 from three-point range in Game 2 of its best-of-three series with Barangay Ginebra two nights ago, and Guiao admits that’s the reason for today’s rubber match between the Elasto Painters and the Gin Kings.
