Alaska Aces react following their loss to the NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA Governors’ Cup playoffs. PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—The Alaska run in the Philippine Basketball Association has come to an end.
NLEX lowered the curtains on one of the league’s iconic franchises with a 96-80 rout in their Governors’ Cup quarterfinal showdown Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Aces had announced mid-conference that this was going to be their final conference in the PBA, ending a decorated stint that had produced 14 championships in 35 seasons, including a coveted Grand Slam in 1996.
Wala pa ring tatalo sa Alaska.
Maraming salamat, @Alaska_Aces. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/3DtwDKP9yb
— PBA (@pbaconnect) March 19, 2022
But Alaska could not add a day to its farewell tour after being held to just 11 points in a 14-and-a-half minute span bridging the second and third periods that allowed NLEX to pull away, 51-31.
Import Cameron Clark led the way for NLEX with 24 points and eight rebounds while Kris Rosales added 12 points.
Mark Saint Fort managed a mere 14 points for the Aces while Jeron Teng, whose career as Alaska’s cornerstone has come to an end, added 13.