Aces upend Painters, extend Finals series

CALVIN Abueva, with son Calvin James, receives his Best Player of the Conference award from PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

WITH its pride on the line more than the championship itself on this particular night, the real Alaska team showed up and shot the living daylights out of Rain or Shine to live another day in the Oppo-PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.

The Aces pulled off a 111-99 Game 4 win, breaking away in the second period and never giving the Elasto Painters a chance, as they avoided being swept in the best-of-seven title series at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

“It was a matter of pride first,” Alaska coach Alex Compton said after his wards finally displayed the form that got them this far. “We just want to keep on playing.”

Rob Dozier scored 23 points and five locals tossed in 11 or better in the best offensive game of the Aces in the series, which the Painters still lead, 3-1.

Game 5 is scheduled tomorrow, also at the Big Dome.

“We showed up and I’d like to commend our players,” Compton said. “I challenged them and, contrary to popular belief, we didn’t make overwhelming adjustments but did only what we needed to do.”

Rain or Shine started out right but couldn’t sustain it, and when the Painters ended the first quarter trailing, 21-25, they never really got going. They got buried in a 23-point hole late in the third and never had a chance to come out out of it.

Before last night, the Aces had lost a total of seven straight title series games—a new PBA record. They were the only team that blew a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven title series only to lose, bowing to San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Cup by losing the last four games.

Rain or Shine was dragged down by import Pierre Henderson-Niles’ worst showing so far. He finished with just three points and five rebounds as Dozier and every man he guarded ran rings around him inside the paint.

Rookie Maverick Ahanmisi shot a career-high 30 points—the most by a rookie in a title series in the last 15 years since Mark Caguioa who shot the same for Ginebra San Miguel in 2001. Paul Lee shot 11 and Jeff Chan and JR Quiñahan added 10 each for Rain or Shine.

Meanwhile, Alaska small forward Calvin Abueva bagged his first Player of the Conference award as expected last night after comfortably besting Barangay Ginebra center Greg Slaughter in the balloting among the media and fellow players.

Despite finishing third in the statistical points race behind the 7-foot Slaughter and GlobalPort gunner Terrence Romeo, the 6-foot-2 Abueva was the first choice in all 34 media ballots and in 21 of 25 cast by players to pool 1,150 points. Slaughter had 752.

Meralco’s Arinze Onuaku won the Best Import trophy over Rain or Shine’s Henderson-Niles and Alaska’s Dozier.

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, Quiñahan 10, Cruz 9, Norwood 9, Belga 6, Ibanes 4, Henderson-Niles 3, Ponferada 3, Almazan 2, Tiu 2, Teng 0.

Quarters: 25-21, 54-39, 90-67, 111-99