Aces, Batang Pier begin semis series

Stanley Pringle, the other half of GlobalPort’s dynamic duo, shoots against Alaska’s Tony dela Cruz, Chris Banchero and Eric Menk in their elimination-round clash won handily by the Aces. AUGUST DELA CRUZ/INQUIRER

Defense vs offense.

Basically, that’s what the Final Four series in the Smart Bro-PBA Philippine Cup between battle-scarred eliminations topnotcher Alaska and semifinal newcomer GlobalPort will all boil down to when they clash in Game 1 of a best-of-seven series Monday at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

Tip-off is at 7 p.m.

Alaska coach Alex Compton and his staff spent most of the holidays trying to devise defensive plans that can limit the duo’s output.

“They’re fantastic,” Compton had said when asked in an earlier interview what he thought of the Pringle-Romeo tandem.

“They can really create shots for themselves and create [shots] for their teammates.”

GlobalPort counterpart Pido Jarencio said he would not veer away from the formula that had got them this far, and that is to lean heavily on his point guards.

“It’s not a secret anymore,” Jarencio said. “We will ask them to take us all the way, the way they carried us [in the elimination round and in the quarterfinals].”

In Jarencio’s mind, however, Calvin Abueva will be the key to the Alaska game.

“We have to be able to match their intensity, particularly that of Calvin (Abueva),” said the GlobalPort coach after practice Sunday.

“He dictates their energy level. And when their energy level is up, you have no choice but to match it so you can have a chance.”

The only thing that Jarencio sees differently in a series this long is how to keep his top men fresh.

And this is obviously not lost on Compton, who will try to make Pringle and Romeo work hard even on the defensive end in hopes of tiring them out for the latter games.

Alaska, which is looking to win a title for the first time since the 2013 Commissioner’s Cup, owns a 123-104 victory over the Batang Pier in their elimination-round clash, where it allowed Romeo to get away with 33 points but shut down his supporting cast.

The winner of this series will seal another best-of-seven showdown for the title with the victor of the San Miguel Beer-Rain or Shine setto that starts tomorrow, also at 7 p.m. at MoA Arena.

“That’s (GlobalPort) basically a team with four stars,” Compton said, also referring to the veterans Joseph Yeo and Jay Washington who have both had championship experience.

“That team can really score.”