Manuel bucks ankle pain to boost Aces

Alaska Aces. PBA IMAGES

Vic Manuel wasn’t supposed to play on Friday when Alaska met Phoenix at Cuneta Astrodome.

But with a tight race to the playoffs, Manuel knew the Aces could use his help.

“I’m not supposed to play today, but if we won’t win today, we’re in a precarious position in the playoffs,” he said in Filipino.

Despite the pain on his left ankle, the hardworking forward played like he was at a 100-percent, topping the Aces with 21 points and seven rebounds in their 106-85 victory over the Fuel Masters.

“We needed this win and I told myself that I really had to play,” he said.

Along with Manuel and bruise brother Calvin Abueva, substitutes Kevin Racal and Jake Pascual aslso stepped up to the plate as the Aces manhandled Phoenix.

“They were a big boost for us. Anybody in the team can score, so the important thing there is their defense,” he said.

The win clinched Alaska a quarterfinals seat and kept the Aces in the running for that coveted top two spot.

Manuel praised his team’s performance, saying they showed what coach really wanted from the players though they still have room for improvement.

“Coach always tells us that our discipline on the court must be there as well as our communication. I think this is our best game so far, but we still have to limit our turnovers and we need to understand the value of each possession.”

The Aces play Rain or Shine next week in their last game in the elimination round.

“We need to focus more on offense and defense. There’s no perfect game for us. We’ll prepare for them in the next days.”