Alaska, Magnolia both hungry for elusive PBA title

Streaks will be at stake when Magnolia tangles with Alaska for the 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup crown.

The Aces look to arrest a Finals drought that has hovered the franchise the last four seasons, while the Hotshots seek to preserve what has been a string of productive outings by their sister teams.

“I feel like all of the PBA fans will enjoy with this series,” Magnolia coach Chito Victolero said in Filipino during the series presser Tuesday in Libis. “The competitive edge of both teams will push each other to the limit.”

“And both are hungry, too,” he said of the protagonists in the showcase that kicks off Dec. 5 at MOA Arena.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” chimed in Alaska coach Alex Compton. “What I do know is that they play really hard, they play the right way.”

The Aces finished the elimination phase as the third seed. They made their way back into the final dance by taking down old tormentor San Miguel Beer in the quarterfinals and then tripping back-to-back finalist Meralco in the semifinals.

The Hotshots, for their part, hope to build on the momentum from dethroning Barangay Ginebra to finally win a title after falling short last conference.

But running along the crossfires are ties that go way back.

The two coaches were once teammates at the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association and are both shooting for their first title as a chief tactician.

As if that’s not enough case of a friendly-fire, Alaska will now be challenged by its 2015 import Romeo Travis as Magnolia veteran PJ Simon goes up a former teammate in Compton.

“You can’t really choose,” Victolero said, who eliminated Meralco Bolts and Norman Black, who was his first coach in the pros.

“We didn’t get the championship so hopefully, I come out wiser and the players that have been through it,” Compton said ahead of the clash. “I think they’re playing the best basketball in the PBA. So if you want to win, we sure as heck get better and work on our game.”

“We have a chance again to be in the Finals … we will just have to bring, give our best every single game,” Victolero closed.