Anything but a feast as Beermen, Aces open Fiesta finals

MANILA, Philippines–Tim Cone was uncharacteristically late for his post-game interview Wednesday evening, after taking down a powerhouse squad en route to reaching the PBA Fiesta Conference finals.   Turns out, he had a soul-searching chat with his crew.   “I talked to the players and asked them if they were ready to go another two-and-a-half weeks of this again,” Cone said, referring to the title series against another rock-solid side in San Miguel Beer starting Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.   “We went through the gauntlet against [Barangay] Ginebra [in the quarterfinals] and we went through the gauntlet again against Talk ‘N Text [in the semifinals],” he added.   In both series, Alaska went the distance.   “And the guys just told me that they are willing to go through the gauntlet again against San Miguel.”   Game 1 is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. with the odds stacked against the Aces, who have not beaten the Beermen in six Fiesta Conference games in three seasons.   Cone is also up against a coach who has never tasted defeat in a title series.   “It’s a great record and I wish I had it myself,” Cone said with a laugh when reminded that San Miguel’s Siot Tanquingcen is 3-0 in Finals appearances.   Meanwhile, the Player of the Conference and Best Import awards will be handed out before tip-off. Rupert Zaragosa III, the country’s 11-12 winner in the recent Callaway Junior World golf championship, will make the Finals’ ceremonial toss.   Derby Ace, which San Miguel ousted in the semifinals, and Talk ‘N Text play one game for third place in the 5 p.m. contest.   San Miguel is undoubtedly the favorite to prevail in the Finals, having also played fewer games than Alaska in this conference.   The Beermen have won all their six meetings since losing to Alaska in the 2007 Finals. And the defending champions have the clear edge in manpower, which is vital in a rigorous series.   But Jay Washington, a leading candidate for the Best Player of the Conference award, knows that this series won’t be a walk in the park.   “They’re probably one of the toughest teams when they execute,” Washington said.   It is no secret that Alaska’s main weapons are still Diamon Simpson and LA Tenorio, the chief proponents of the Aces’ magnificent run.   Alaska’s chances hinge heavily on the support that Cone will be able to hack out from the likes of Joe Devance, Larry Fonacier, Tony Dela Cruz, Reynel Hugnatan and of course, Cyrus Baguio.