Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Alaska coach Alex Compton doesn’t want the team’s off-court issues standing in their way, more so with the Aces riding a hot streak.
“We just need to stay focused and not let ourselves get distracted,” said Compton as they resume their drive for a top two berth in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. “We’re having a good run and hopefully we can keep it up.”
Compton and his crew have done a tremendous job at that even with the indefinite suspension that management slapped on superstar forward calvin Abueva and rookie sensation Jeron Teng getting stabbed last week outside a bar.
Alaska will be putting the tournament’s longest winning streak—six games—on the line against another side that is also having manpower woes of their own, the NLEX Road Warriors.
Kiefer Ravena, suspended for doping, and Kevin Alas, who is recovering from a knee operation, will again be out of the NLEX roster when the Road Warriors test Alaska in the 7 p.m. game at Mall of Asia Arena.
Yeng Guiao and his boys need nothing less than a win to stay in playoff contention.
Vic Manuel has blossomed in the absence of his frontcourt mate Abueva and is again expected to carry much of the scoring among Compton’s locals.
“He’s pretty phenomenal, he just went on (a scoring spree),” said Compton, referring to Manuel’s 35-point effort where he scored his last 17 points in the fourth quarter of a 103-99 come-from-behind win over the Magnolia Hotshots last week.
Since Alaska opened the conference with a loss against Rain or Shine, the Aces have gone unbeaten and a win against the Warriors would give them a tie for the lead with the Elasto Painters at 7-1 and closer to a top two finish.
Abueva has been suspended indefinitely by management for skipping their game against GlobalPort two weeks ago and for missing the team’s practices.
“He’s going through some personal issues and he’s trying to sort things out,” said Compton.
In the 4:30 p.m. game, Meralco also tries to stay within striking distance of the lead—and mathematically in the race for a twice-to-beat quarterfinal bonus—when it tangles with also-ran Blackwater.
Tournament format calls for the top two teams after the single round eliminations to gain win-once bonuses against their quarterfinal foes, which would be the seventh- and eighth-ranked teams.
Those qualifying from Nos. 3 to 6 will fall into two best-of-five series.