Aces take second shot at PH Cup title tonight

AUSTRIA                                                                                                                COMPTON

ALASKA tries to end the reign of San Miguel Beer anew as it shoots for the PBA Philippine Cup crown today while seeking to avoid an extension of the series that would give the enemy more momentum.

After failing to sweep the Beermen in their best-of-seven championship series on Sunday night, the Aces go into the 7 p.m. contest at Smart Araneta Coliseum looking for that one win to wrap up the title and snap a 16-year wait for the league’s most prestigious crown.

Another victory for the Beermen would undoubtedly give them all the momentum and confidence they need in a Game 6, slated Friday if necessary, and would apply more pressure on Alaska.

“No one ever said that it was going to be easy,” Alaska coach Alex Compton told reporters after a 110-104 overtime loss in Game 4, the Aces’ first setback in five games against the Beermen in the tournament.

With the sweep now gone, something should have been taken off the shoulders of the Aces, who haven’t won this tournament since 2000—the longest drought for any active team in the league.

“I just want to come out of this series with a championship,” Compton said. “It (San Miguel) is a tough team. It’s not really easy to sweep anybody.”

Executing well in the endgame for a change, the Beermen rallied from 11 points down in the final 3:31 of regulation and from four down after the first minute of extension to prevail.

It was an ego-pumping victory for San Miguel, which will continue to play without injured reigning two-time MVP June Mar Fajardo.

“I’m sure they (Aces) were embarrassed; they were already preparing for a huge celebration,” San Miguel coach Leo Austria said after the win carved out at the dilapidated Philsports Arena in Pasig.

Austria was obviously referring to multicolored balloons hanging in the rafters of the government-run facility. And he certainly would want to keep them there for as long as the Beermen can.

No team in league history—or in any professional sport throughout the world—has a team come back from a 0-3 deficit in a best-of-seven Finals series to win.