Alaska Aces vs Rain or Shine Elastopainters. Photo by Tristan Tamato/INQUIRER.net
With its back against the wall, Alaska averted a sweep and stayed alive in the 2016 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, blasting Rain or Shine with a 111-99 Game 4 victory Friday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Trailing 0-3 in the best-of-7 series, the Aces refused to lose, breaking away in the second quarter with a 50-35 edge.
Alaska pounce on the Elasto Painters en route to a 23-point lead, 90-67, after three quarters.
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Rain or Shine, however, still managed to climb back and and trimmed the lead down to eight, 107-99, on a triple from Maverick Ahanmisi.
Dozier topped Alaska with 23 points and eight rebounds, while Chris Banchero added 17 markers, 10 coming from his blazing third quarter assault, to go with eight assists and three boards.
Calvin Abueva, who was hailed as the Best Player of the Conference, finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and four dimes before being ejected with his second foul at the 1:35 mark of the fourth.
“Our backs against the wall, I wish we could’ve played this way earlier, we could’ve had another win or two,” said coach Alex Compton. “I just want to keep playing.”
Jazul chipped in 15 markers and four assists, while Sonny Thoss and Cyrus Baguio had 11 markers each.
“At this point, it was a matter of pride first. I’ve told my players, I brag about it everywhere I go, I’m proud of the guys I coach,” said Compton.
“In Game 3, we had a stretch where someone replaced my guys with body doubles. It feels like we’re us. I don’t feel like the real us showed up in the first games. That’s not to discount their wins. I felt today the real guys showed up. At least we didn’t have history repeated.”
Game 5 is on Sunday, still at the Big Dome, with the Elasto Painters still within reach of a championship.
Rain or Shine leaned on Ahanmisi, who had a career-best 30 points which is most by a rookie in the PBA Finals history in the last 15 years.
Paul Lee had 11 markers, four rebounds, and three assists, while Jeff Chan and JR Quinahan both got 10 in the defeat.
The Scores:
ALASKA 111 – Dozier 23, Banchero 17, Jazul 15, Abueva 14, Baguio 11, Thoss 11, Hontiveros 7, Racal 7, Dela Cruz 4, Baclao 2, Dela Rosa 0.
RAIN OR SHINE 99 – Ahanmisi 30, Lee 11, Chan 10, Quinahan 10, Cruz 9, Norwood 9, Belga 6, Ibanes 4, Henderson-Niles 3, Ponferrada 3, Almazan 2, Tiu 2, Teng 0.
Quarters: 25-21, 54-39, 90-67, 111-99.