Games Today (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
5:45 p.m. – Alaska vs Air21
8 p.m. – Globalport vs San Mig Super Coffee
Manila, Philippines – Alaska shoots for its second straight win under rookie coach Alex Compton when it battles Air21 while San Mig Super Coffee seeks its first back-to-back win today in the PBA PLDT Home Telpad Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Installed as head coach after the Alaska management parted ways with Luigi Trillo, Compton proved he’s up to the task by steering the team to a 103-91 win over Talk ’N Text.
Since the Texters played without an import, today’s match set at 5:45 p.m. will be Compton’s acid test.
The Mixers, on the other hand, will try to improve their 2-1 record against the Globalport Batang Pier, a squad also aching to bounce back after being beaten black and blue by the Rain or Shine Painters, 119-97.
Globalport and San Mig Coffee clash at 8 p.m.
Determined to advance to the semis and experience the thrill of it, the Batang Pier of sportsman Mikee Romero will parade a new import in Dior Lowhorn.
Lowhorn is no alien to the brand of play in the league being the import of crowd favorite Ginebra last season.
Lowhorn, who replaced Leroy Hickerson, averaged almost 30 points and 11 rebounds in his first stint in the PBA.
The former University of San Francisco player recently played for the Hamamatsu Phoenix in the Japan Basketball League (JBL).
San Mig, on the other hand, is coming off a 108-90 win over Meralco in a game marked by the ejection of Marc Pingris.
The usually cool Pingris punched James Sena in retaliation to the latter’s rugged play.
Alaska won its first match against TNT after losing to Globalport (95-91).
Against TNT, import Bill Walker scored 27 points aside from grabbing seven rebounds.
Compton also got solid contributions from JV Casio (21), Sonny Thoss (14) and Cyrus Baguio (14).
Compton said he has no plans to change the system – triangle offense – which he inherited from Trillo. This is only his fifth conference with the Aces. (Waylon Galvez)