PJ Ramos tries to evade defenders. PBA Images/Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines — Kia, the league’s giant killers, struck again on Tuesday.
The Carnival added the Alaska Aces to their list of victims in the 2015 PBA Commissioner’s Cup with a bounce back 103-89 win at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“I challenged the players to play hard this time because last game we’re so flat and we had that tendency to relax because we’re coming off back-to-back wins,” Kia assistant coach Chito Victolero, who filled in for playing-coach Manny Pacquiao. “Now we realized that we need to work harder for us to make the playoffs.”
Kia picked up its fourth victory against five losses this conference after victories over the league’s other powerhouses San Miguel, Purefoods, Talk ‘N Text.
The Carnival, who redeemed themselves from a 115-104 loss to the Blackwater Elite last Saturday, went on an 18-5 run in the fourth quarter after the Aces threatened to within four.
PJ Ramos muscled his way to 36 points and a season-high 33 rebounds for the Carnival, who have now won three of their last four games, while guard LA Revilla wound up with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists.
The Aces, who slipped to 2-5, had no answer for the 7-foot-3 Ramos even with the return of their starting center Sonny Thoss. Thoss appeared in his first game this conference after missing six games due to a foot injury and had 16 points and six rebounds.
Import Damion James scored 25 points and grabbed 16 rebounds but remained winless with the Alaska so far.
Pacquiao is in Los Angeles for the crucial part of his training camp to prepare for his May 2 megafight with Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas.
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