Alaska has now brushed off its 0-2 start in the PBA Philippine Cup and have strung together two straight wins with the most recent one in the form of a 102-65 humiliation of Kia.
With such an impressive showing, it’s safe to assume that the Aces have found their groove in the All-Filipino Conference, but guard Chirs Banchero said there’s still more work to be done.
“There’s a lot of room for us to get better,” said Banchero Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. “We got to do a better job of sharing the ball and growing as a team.”
And even though the Aces registered 26 assists against Kia, Banchero said it was the team’s defense that ultimately got them the victory.
Alaska pressed the majority of the 48 minutes and got 17 steals in the process, with Banchero taking a team-high of three, while forcing the Picanto to commit 29 turnovers.
This frantic defense allowed Alaska to score 27 fast break points and 32 points off turnovers.
“Defense is going to win us the championship, defense is going to give us wins, defense and rebounding the ball,” said Banchero who finished with 11 points and five assists.
Alaska’s defensive pressure reached peak form in the third quarter when the Aces outscored the Picanto 36-5 in the third quarter.
“I feel the first five to 10 minutes of that second half were the biggest parts of the game,” said Banchero. “It was a great team effort.”