KO game too close to call; Alaska, TNT given even odds

Manila, Philippines–Chot Reyes and Tim Cone, despite their many on-court battles in the past, remain as very close friends. So close, in fact, that heading into their respective squad’s do-or-die game for a place in the PBA Fiesta Conference Finals on Wednesday, they said practically the same thing about their KO encounter at the Araneta Coliseum. “It’s going to be 50-50,” Cone had said Sunday night after his Alaska crew trounced Reyes’ Talk ‘N Text squad, 94-83, to forge the decider, scheduled at 7 p.m. “Whoever makes some runs in the game and sustains it will probably win,” said Cone, the Grand Slam-winning coach who had Reyes as his assistant during Alaska’s glorious years in the last decade. “A Game 7 is always 50-50,” Reyes said over the phone, even as he and management have decided not to change import Shawn Daniels at the 11th hour. Omar Sneed, the Israeli league veteran who has been in the country for more than a week now, will remain in the freezer, although he might be tapped for action if the Texters advance opposite San Miguel Beer. The Beermen made the best-of-seven title series by finishing off Derby Ace, 4-2, in their side of the Final Four, Sunday night. Past records and performances mean nothing in a game like this one, not even the fact that Talk ‘N Text topped the eliminations, and that the Aces will be coming into the contest the wearier team after having to play in the quarterfinals. “You just hope that nothing serious hits your players during the game, players that are important in the rotation,” Cone added. Reyes, though, has a winning record over Cone in Game 7s. He won the only two times they met in such a knockout contest, the last during the Philippine Cup Finals last season. But judging from the way Game 6 was won, Alaska looks to be in better shape. The Aces came out charging and built commanding leads early before finishing with a flurry. And they took the star-studded Texters crew into a rubber match very few thought was possible. Diamon Simpson, more agile than Daniels, will again be the focal point of the Alaska play. Alaska has won games that Simpson had dominated and lost some very lopsided ones when the 22-year-old was out of synch. The case isn’t the same for the Texters, who have a local lineup that could pass as the strongest in the league.