ALASKA tries to seal a best-of-three quarterfinal slot when it battles Petron Blaze today in the PBA Philippine Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Calvin Abueva passed his baptism of fire the first time these two clubs met, posting 12 points and 16 boards in a narrow win that quickly established the former NCAA MVP as a super rookie.
The return bout is set at 7:30 p.m. and Abueva will have another test to hurdle with June Mar Fajardo, the No. 1 overall pick in the Draft, healthy again.
Petron’s fight for survival has taken away the focus on the matchup between the two talented neophytes.
Meanwhile, Air21 clashes with Globalport in the 5:15 p.m. contest with the Express seeking to earn at least a tie for the eighth and last playoff spot.
A victory by Alaska would mean that Petron, the powerhouse side that has struggled all tournament long, will become the No. 7 squad and would need to beat No. 2 two straight games to advance to the Final Four.
The Aces would then make it as No. 6 at the worst.