Aces pull off 3-game title sweep of Kings

GINEBRA’S Player of the Conference LA Tenorio fouls a driving Cyrus Baguio of Alaska in last night’s PBA Finals Game 3. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

There was a semblance of a game this time, and it only made Alaska’s return to PBA glory all the more sweet.

Trailing three-fourths of the way, the Aces scooted away in the fourth quarter to dust off Barangay Ginebra with a 104-80 win and complete a sweep of the Commissioner’s Cup title series that a new record crowd witnessed at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Aces dropped a 20-3 bomb to break a 76-all tie and claim their franchise’s 14th title in front of 23,436 fans for the championship no one really thought would come this quick after Tim Cone—who won the team’s first 13 titles—left the squad to join a richer franchise in the league almost two seasons ago.

Game 3 was the hardest for the Aces to win  as they labored hard for the first three periods with Ginebra coming up with its toughest stand in the best-of-five series after losing the first two games by an average of 15.5 points.

Vernon Macklin tied the game for the last time at 76 with 9:18 remaining after a tip of a Jay-Jay Helterbrand miss before the Aces came up with that telling blow that left the Gin Kings in tatters.

Alaska’s defense which had keyed the first two victories suddenly came alive after that as the Aces held the Kings to just a free throw from the final 6:14 to post the  biggest winning margin of the championship.

Sonny Thoss, after averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds in the series, was named the Finals MVP, mainly  because of the way he clamped down on Macklin. Thoss had nine points in the breakaway fourth quarter.

Robert Dozier, the Best Import, fired 27 points and rookie Calvin Abueva, who lost to LA Tenorio in the Player of the Conference derby, had 22, 11 of them in the fourth period. Dozier also had 20 rebounds, Abueva plucked down 10 and Thoss had 14 boards.

Tenorio paced the Kings with 18 points but was held scoreless in the fourth.

The fleet-footed 5-foot-8 Tenorio, playing just his second conference for the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings from Alaska, cornered all but two of 36 media votes and was the players’ choice over the red-hot Alaska rookie to finish with 1,125 points in the BPC race.

Abueva topped the statistical points race over Tenorio but lost by 180 points to the Ginebra guard in the media votes for 861 total points.

Dozier, the silent workhorse, topped all departments in the Best Import race and became the first Alaska reinforcement to bag the award since Diamon Simpson in the 2010 Fiesta Conference.