ALEX Cabagnot of San Miguel Beer goes for a tough undergoal stab in last night’s Game 3 in Lucena City. PBA IMAGES
LUCENA—Displaying tremendous poise down the stretch for the third game in a row, Alaska moved on the brink of snapping the longest active Philippine Cup drought in the PBA with the Aces putting themselves in position of doing it in grand style.
After playing catch-up for most of the game, the Aces held San Miguel Beer scoreless in the final 1:43 to pull out an 82-75 win at Quezon Convention Center here and move within another victory of ending a 16-year wait for winning the league’s most prestigious crown.
With a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series—and with no team in the league having been able to erase such a deficit and win—it’s just a matter of when that drought will be quenched.
Alaska had to claw out of a 10-point hole at halftime, with Vic Manuel leading a furious rally in the fourth and RJ Jazul finishing off the Beermen with two clutch loopers in the game’s most crucial stretch.
“I was not happy at halftime,” Alaska coach Alex Compton said after moving on the cusp of vindication for having lost in two title series against San Miguel last season, including a 0-4 blanking in the Governors’ Cup.
“I’m hoping we can finish it at the Ultra. I’m from Pasig anyway,” added Compton in jest. “But I told my players that they (Beermen) will not hand us anything.”
Jazul touched off an 8-0 closing spurt with those two clutch jumpers that turned a 74-75 deficit into what turned out to be the final score.
Manuel, who will be a cinch for the Finals MVP award if the Aces end this series tomorrow at PhilSports Arena in Pasig, scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth period.
Jay-R Reyes gave San Miguel hope early as he came off the bench to shoot 10 points in the first half. But the 6-foot-7 nailed Manuel with a vicious elbow with still 9:32 remaining for a flagrant foul 2 call and an automatic ejection.
The scores:
ALASKA 82—Manuel 17, Abueva 13, Thoss 12, Baguio 11, Banchero 7, Baclao 6, Jazul 6, Menk 5, Casio 4, Dela Rosa 1, Dela Cruz 0, Exciminiano 0, Hontiveros 0.
SAN MIGUEL BEER 75—Reyes 13, Tubid 10, Arana 9, Cabagnot 9, Santos 9, Espinas 8, Lassiter 8, Lutz 4, Ross 3, De Ocampo 2, Heruela 0.
Quarters: 20-17, 31-41, 58-55, 82-75