Games Tomorrow
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4:30 p.m. – NLEX vs Rain or Shine
7 p.m. – Ginebra vs Phoenix
Calvin Abueva has always relished on rubbing salt at rival fans whenever the chance presented itself.
So it was no surprise when the energetic Alaska forward stuck out his tongue after scoring a tear drop with 7:46 left in the fourth quarter and the Aces ahead 81-67 over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
Abueva’s gesture was one of the lasting memories of Alaska’s shock 97-83 over Ginebra Sunday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City that may signified the turning point for the Alex Compton-coached club after a dreadful performance last season.
Frustrated and perhaps weary after a 14-game losing skid marred their 2016-17 campaign, the Aces have started 2018 with a bang, winning all three games in January after opening the season with losses to Magnolia and TNT KaTropa.
A grindout victory over Meralco and a lopsided victory over Kia set the stage for the double-digit mastery of Ginebra which after trailing for most of the first half and the Kings missing the services of Greg Slaughter and Joe Devance to injuries.
“We weren’t playing well in the first half. But in the second half, I thought we settled down and be us,” said Compton, who even downplayed a bit the absences of Slaughter and Devance. “Sometimes sa liga natin, we have to take advantage of opportunities coming your way.”
In competing the best performance since last season’s skid, Alaska scored 37 in the third quarter with Vic Manuel dominating the paint with 11 points in that stretch.
It also helped that Manuel looked healthy as ever after spending the latter part of last season recovering from a knee injury.
Veteran center Sonny Thoss, Chris Banchero, Abueva and rookie Jeron Teng were also instrumental in the second half blitz that also saw them force Ginebra to turn overs with their trademark pressure defense, sending the Aces to a share of third with TNT at 3-2.
And if the Aces continue their winning ways, a true renaissance could become a reality for Compton and company.
“Yung 2017 parang nilubog na namin yung losing streak namin doon. Ito 2018 na at panibagong destination nanaman,” Abueva said. “Sa amin ngayon, sustain namin at sana masunod namin to at magtuloy-tuloy yung winning streak namin.”
A determining factor for the Aces will be their defensive mentality, which the team hopes wouldn’t lead to fatigue factor down the stretch.
Compton, who began 2018 by sporting a beard, jokingly said after beating Meralco weeks earlier that “I thought we had to play a little wilder on defense so I figured I’d look a little wilder myself, I guess.”
