Cone, Alaska Aces simply untouchable

MANILA-Philippines—TIM CONE did a lot of brilliant coaching for Alaska on the way to its PBA Fiesta Conference title conquest Wednesday night.   He secured the team’s 13th championship, dedicated it to the recently departed father of his boss and friend, and offered it to his wife, family and fans.   Ironically, Cone “won” it for one of the coaches he conquered along the way.   “I told Joel (Banal, his assistant), that we had to win this one (game and series) tonight,” Cone explained after clinching the series in Game 6 over San Miguel. “I told him that we had to win it for the coaches so that it doesn’t become a fad. Let’s kill it in the bud.”   By fad Cone meant San Miguel’s coaching change before Game 5, when it relieved head coach Siot Tanquingcen and made assistant Gee Abanilla call the shots. The Beermen won that one and Abanilla was again in charge when the series ended.   “I have utmost respect for San Miguel,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for that organization because I have been battling them for more than 20 years. I hope I don’t get in trouble for saying this.”   It was the second time that Tanquingcen was given a spell, counting one stretch in the elimination round when Ato Agustin was tapped to call the shots.   The old adage that players win games and coaches lose them didn’t necessarily apply for Alaska in these playoffs, as Cone clearly outwitted his opposite number.   The latest championship was a testament to Cone’s brilliance. He squeezed out the best from his players, something that Jong Uichico at Barangay Ginebra, Chot Reyes of Talk ‘N Text and then Tanquingcen failed to do with their respective teams.   Alaska won the first two games of the championship series before dropping the third and fifth games. And the fact that the Aces played 18 straight games since the start of the playoffs on July 2 didn’t make the job easier for them.   “We had players that really delivered and we made some pretty big shots,” Cone said.   LA Tenorio looked every inch the best point guard in the land, Cyrus Baguio justified himself as a great investment, Joe Devance finally bloomed into a star, a host of role players did their part, and Diamon Simpson dominated like no import has done in recent years.   Tenorio was big throughout, even in Game 2 where he suffered dehydration, as he knocked down big shot after big shot while seemingly controlling Alaska’s plays in the palm of his hands.   Baguio, meanwhile, proved the big steal in the one-on-one swap with Ginebra for the discontented Willie Miller.   A creative, high-leaping swingman out of Santo Tomas, Baguio showed he belongs to the echelon of stars in the league after averaging 15 points in the series.   Devance normed 13.5 points per game, and Tenorio had the best all-around numbers among the locals in the series with 11.5 points, close to six boards and six assists a contest. In Game 6, the 5-foot-8 guard plucked down 11 rebounds.
With his heroics, it remains a wonder why San Miguel failed to realize Tenorio’s potential. The Beermen shipped him to Alaska for the aging Mike Cortez.   Simpson, should an NBA career continue to elude him, will surely be back with the Aces after averaging 24 points, 18 rebounds and two assists in the series.   As for Cone, he’ll stay with Alaska, the only team he has coached in more than two decades. And besides, even if San Miguel continues to have coaching woes, he surely won’t be offered the spot.   He knows it. After what he said.