Alaska pounces on chance to extend PBA Commissioner’s Cup campaign

MANILA, Philippines—Alaska was on safe passage to the playoffs at the start of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup when it started the conference at 4-2 and up to that point only three teams—TNT, NorthPort, and Blackwater—had better runs off the bat.

The Aces, however, failed to sustain the momentum and dropped to a five-game losing streak to fall from a potential top-three seed to a playoff for the no.8 spot a day before the quarterfinals begin.

This downward spiral, though, was what motivated the Aces in their 108-103 overtime win over Meralco in the eighth seed playoff Friday at Mall of Asia Arena.

Forward Vic Manuel said he felt the Aces lucked out in the last three games of the elimination so that when they got chance at the eighth seed they knew they had to bring it their all.

“This is the last opportunity for us, because I felt that in our last three games the wins were almost being given to us so we can get to the playoffs and yet we weren’t able to grab it,” said Manuel in Filipino. “We were given this one chance, so tonight we had to grab it.”

The Aces’ losing margin in their last three games of eliminations against Barangay Ginebra, Rain or Shine, Blackwater, was 7.3 points with their 86-84 loss to the Elasto Painters was the closest.

“I’m thankful because there really is an opportunity that was given to us, we’re aware that we’re almost eliminated and then we’re still alive,” said Manuel who had 23 points against the Bolts, 15 of which were scored in the fourth and overtime periods