Gin Kings keep Aces winless
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CEBU—It was hard to see anything that would say that Barangay Ginebra was coming off a 21-day break.
With three men in its starting lineup finishing with double-doubles and Japeth Aguilar coming off the bench to carve one of his own, Ginebra plastered Alaska, 94-80, to win a fourth straight game and stay in the upper half of the PBA Governors’ Cup standings.
The Gin Kings were dominant right from the start of the Petron Saturday Special Game at Hoops Dome here as they buried the Aces in an avalanche of baskets early to take command and eventually rise to 4-1.
Alaska, on the other hand, still didn’t see an end to its franchise mark in futility, dropping to 0-6 overall after losing its 14th straight game dating back to the Commissioner’s Cup. And this one was the most lopsided in this tournament as the Aces simply didn’t have an answer to Ginebra’s game-long intensity.
Justin Brownlee had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Greg Slaughter contributed 12 and 13, and Scottie Thompson missed a triple double by just two points after plucking down 11 boards and issuing 10 assists.
Calvin Abueva, Alaska’s big contribution to the Gilas Pilipinas program, finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, but import LeDontae Henton sealed his 10th point only inside the final minute when the game was all but decided.
Sonny Thoss was just the third man in twin digits for Alaska with 11.
Meanwhile, Star slugs it out with Rain or Shine on Sunday afternoon, looking to not only remain the only undefeated team but also to move closer to the first playoff spot at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
The Hotshots have a 4-0 record and will come into the 4:30 p.m. contest as the favorites over the Elasto Painters, who will welcome back Gilas Pilipinas stalwarts Gabe Norwood and Raymond Almazan.
Coach Chito Victolero has been bracing for this game for quite a while now as it starts a tough stretch for his Hotshots, who will clash with Barangay Ginebra next Sunday before colliding with Meralco.
Those are first-rate teams and Victolero got the jumpstart he was hoping for last week when Star ran roughshod over Phoenix Petroleum, 100-81.
“The players are jelling well and are learning their roles,” Victolero said. “This (game against the Painters) will be very crucial for us because it starts a tough stretch for us.”
A win would shove the Hotshots to within another victory of nailing the first quarterfinal slot, though Victolero has been very vocal about what the true target of his squad is.
“Of course, we want to finish in the top four,” he said as the first four placers earn twice-to-beat privileges in the first round. “But we are taking it one game at a time and we cannot look past any opponent.”
Grand Slam-seeking San Miguel Beer, after dusting off the rust in a 115-112 nipping of GlobalPort on Friday, battles rejuvenated NLEX at 6:45 p.m.
NLEX has a 5-2 record and can claim the first playoff slot with an upset of the powerhouse Beermen.
