Alaska adds to SMB’s troubles

Alaska Aces’ Mike Harris dunks the ball against the San Miguel Beermen in the 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup at Ynares Center in Antipolo. PBA IMAGES

ANTIPOLO—A defense-oriented Alaska side beat San Miguel Beer in a high-scoring contest, 127-119, as the Aces shored up their drive for a lofty finish in the PBA Governors’ Cup eliminations in a Petron Saturday Special at Ynares Center here.

Mike Harris scored 36 points and had 23 rebounds and five locals tossed in 11 or more with Vic Manuel coming off the bench to shoot 20 and help the Aces rise to 5-1 with a second straight win—tied for second with idle Magnolia and just half-a-game out of the lead being held by defending champion Barangay Ginebra.

The loss was the third straight for the Beermen in a 2-4 card as the mighty franchise dropped to eighth spot with three games left. San Miguel would need to win all of its remaining five games to have a solid shot at finishing in the upper half and avoid being saddled with a twice-to-win disadvantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Kevin Murphy, who planed in as a replacement for Arizona Reid two games ago, scored 45 points and had 11 rebounds but still couldn’t rescue the Beermen.

Christian Standhardinger had 28 and 13 and Arwind Santos 20 for San Miguel.

Meanwhile, NorthPort put its foot on the gas in the fourth quarter and reduced the Columbian Dyip to a total wreck, 118-101, in the first game.

The Batang Pier dropped 32 points on the hapless Dyip in the payoff frame and won for the first time since June 22, when they also thumped Columbian behind Stanley Pringle’s career-high 50 points.

NorthPort hardly moved in the standings with a 1-6 card, but the win could trigger a late surge for the Batang Pier, who can claim at least a tie for the last playoff berth with a sweep of their remaining four games.

“I think it was the law of averages, we were really due for a win,” said NorthPort coach Pido Jarencio after getting 26 points and 10 rebounds from Mo Tautuaa, 26 points and seven assists from Pringle and 25 points, nine rebounds, six steals and five feeds from Sean Anthony.

“Three of those six losses could have gone our way,” Jarencio went on. “I just kept telling the team to take the positives out of those losses and keep playing.”