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NLEX blew a 30-point lead before surviving Alaska, 96-89, Sunday in the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Road Warriors took a 87-57 with 9:46 left but the Aces pulled to within two, 91-89, with 13.9 seconds remaining before Kevin Alas, Kiefer Ravena and Larry Fonacier hit free throws to seal their team’s third straight win.
Down by only three, 92-89, with 11.6 ticks left, Alaska committed a costly turnover after Kevin Racal’s inbound pass went too strong.
“I was wrong again,” said NLEX coach Yeng Guiao. “You really need a 30-point lead to beat Alaska. Even with a 30-point lead, we were not safe.”
Alas poured in 15 points, eight rebounds, and two dimes off the bench, Fonacier shot three treys to collect 15 markers, four boards, and four assists, and Raul Soyud also had 15 points and seven rebounds.
Ravena had a near triple-double effort with 12 markers, 10 assists, and six boards, while JR Quiñahan got 12 points, five dimes, and four rebounds as NLEX improved to 5-4.
“I think this win is good for us in terms of learning a lot of lessons. The two games we won before this were really hard games and I think they helped us in terms of just keeping our composure in the end game,” said Guiao.
It was a tough defeat for the Aces, who scored 19 unanswered points to get themselves back in the game, 87-76, with 4:25 remaining before Quiñahan stopped the drought for the Road Warriors.
Vic Manuel pumped in 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists for Alaska, which saw its six-game winning streak snapped.
JVee Casio and Jeron Teng both got 12 in the defeat, the Aces’ third in nine outings.
The Scores:
NLEX 96 — Alas 15, Fonacier 15, Soyud 15, Quiñahan 12, Ravena 12, Miranda 8, Tiongson 8, Mallari 4, Baguio 3, Al-Hussaini 2, Gotladera 2, Taulava 0.
ALASKA 89 — Casio 12, Manuel 12, Teng 12, Abueva 10, Cruz 10, Enciso 10, Exciminiano 7, Banchero 4, Racal 4, Thoss 4, Potts 3, J. Pascual 1, Baclao 0.
Quarters: 29-18, 52-32, 79-54, 96-89.