Alaska Aces Snags One Over Ginebra, Leads Finals Series

Image: sports.yahoo.com.ph

Alaska Aces is considered the underdog in the series in terms of the fans given that Brgy. Ginebra is the most popular team in the league. However, that was not enough to intimidate the Aces; in fact, it fired them up enough to open the Finals series against the Ginebra squad in a fiery blaze, giving them a 1-0 advantage in their Best-of-5 series for the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup trophy.

On Game 1 of the Finals series that kicked off yesterday, May 15, Alaska Aces ended up winning via an 87-70 rout before a crowd of over 19,000 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

According to Aces head coach Luigi Trillo, "[the win] is huge" because it boosted his team's confidence going into Game 2 and the rest of the series. Not only that, this win also marks its third win against Brgy. Ginebra for the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup. However, he is not content with the way they played the game despite the win, as he notes they need to work better at making stops.

Ginebra put in only six points at the opening quarter of the game. This particular output has made it into the record books for being the lowest for any opening period and the third lowest of all-time in a single quarter. From there, Alaska rode their momentum for the rest of the game leading them to victory.

Luigi Trillo adds, "We need to play to our identity. They run-and-gun, get a lot of energy from the crowd when they do certain things...[but] we gave them six points in the first quarter. I think that's our identity, defense."

RJ Jazul lead Alaska in scoring with 16 points as Cyrus Baguio added his own 10 points. On the other hand, their import has played consistently throughout the conference and for Game 1 of the Finals, he chipped in 14 points along with 22 rebounds. Several other players scored in double figures for the Aces including Calvin Abueva, Jayvee Casio, and Sonny Thoss.

For the Kings, the story is much different. They had a paltry 26 for 84 field goal shooting percentage, although they managed to cut down the deficit to 11 with 2:51 left in the game. Vernon Macklin and LA Tenorio were the only bright spots for Ginebra wherein they scored 16 and 14 points, respectively.

If you want to see the rest of the PBA 2013 Finals schedule for the rest of the week, you can check it here.

PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup Finals Schedule

Tomorrow will mark the start of the Finals action in the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup and it is going to be a battle between the youngsters and veterans. Experts predict that Alaska Aces will gain an edge over their competition if the series goes to entire length. Meanwhile, Brgy. Ginebra that is deemed the "underdog" of this series will want to end the series early or they might be at a disadvantage.

Brgy. Ginebra arranged a date with the Alaska Aces to the Finals at the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup after extending their Semis series against Talk N Text to a Game 5 despite being down 2-1 post-All Star Weekend. During the final game of this series, Brgy. Ginebra played an inspired game wherein they beat Talk N Text 111-103 to mark the 20th finals appearance for the franchise.

Meanwhile, Alaska Aces spoiled San Mig Coffee Mixers' plan to defend their title after beating them in Game 4 of their own Semis series. This is also a memorable moment for Alaska Aces since this will be the first time they're back to the Finals since Tim Cone left the team.

Image: www.pba.inquirer.net

Clearly, Brgy. Ginebra will have a home court advantage but head coach Luigi Trillo had his crew in place and even led the team to the number one spot at the end of the Elimination Round. To check the preliminary list of schedule for the Finals game this week, you can check the schedule below:

May 15, 2013

Brgy. Ginebra vs Alaska Aces - 7:30 PM at Smart Araneta Coliseum

May 17, 2013

Brgy. Ginebra vs Alaska Aces - 7:30 PM at Mall of Asia Arena

May 19, 2013

Brgy. Ginebra vs Alaska Aces - 7:30 PM at Smart Araneta Coliseum

Who do you think will be crowned the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup champion?

PBA 2012-13 Philippine Cup Finals Schedule

The PBA 2012-2013 Philippine Cup finals is about to tip off. It was a long series of battle between four teams in the semis, all of which are vying for a spot in the finals. However, the Talk N Text Tropang Texters and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - among the recent champions in the league - emerged victorious over their respective opponents to earn the right to fight for the crown. 

Game 1 of the best-of-seven series will kick off on Wednesday, January 9, wherein the winner will draw the first blood in what many predict is a series that will go the distance. Head Coach Yeng Guiao will once again hope that the same formula that gave his team the trophy last time will be just as effective against a different opponent in Talk N Text. On the other hand, the latter will be having a brand new coach on the helm in Norman Black, so it will be interesting to see how things play out. 

Below is a full list of schedules for the PBA finals series between Talk N Text and Rain or Shine. Make sure to mark these dates and times on your calendar so you won't miss a single game in the finals:

Game 1 - January 9, Wednesday

Venue: Smart Araneta Coliseum
Time: 6:45 PM

Game 2 - January 11, Friday

Venue: Mall of Asia Arena
Time: 6:45 PM

Game 3 - January 13, Sunday

Venue: Smart Araneta Coliseum
Time: 6:00 PM

Game 4 - January 16, Wednesday

Venue: Smart Araneta Coliseum
Time: 6:45 PM 

Game 5 (if necessary) - January 18, Friday

Venue: Mall of Asia Arena
Time: 6:45 PM

Game 6 (if necessary) - January 20, Sunday

Venue: Smart Araneta Coliseum
Time: 6:00 PM

Game 7 (if necessary) - January 23, Wednesday

Venue: Mall of Asia Arena
Time: 6:45 PM

Are you going to watch the games? Which team do you think will be able to come up with a crown?

PBA 2012-13 Philippine Cup Finals Set: Rain or Shine vs Talk N Text

Image: www.pba.ph

The Alaska Aces gave a good fight but it was for naught as Talk N Text emerged victorious during their Game 6 match off of their semifinals series. Earlier, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters already secured a ticket to the finals seat by beating San Mig Coffee Mixers in their own best of 7 series. And on Friday, Alaska Aces' back were against the wall as they were put in a do-or-die situation against the talent-laden Talk N Text team behind new head coach Norman Black. 

The combined efforts of Jason Castro, Kelly Williams, Jared Dillinger, and Ranidel de Ocampo helped to surge the Tropang Texters ahead of their competition for the most part of the game. Then, Jimmy Alapag exploded in the final half of the game to build an 80-71 lead for his team. It proved enough as the Aces suffered a dry spell and could not recover from the deficit established by their opponent. 

And the Texters prevailed and rose to the challenge as they made true with what Black promised to be a war on the court. The back-to-back defending champions defeated the Aces in an 83-78 fashion at the Cuneta Astrodome on January 4, Friday. This gives way to a battle of the champs with the Governor Cup champs Rain or Shine waiting to meet them at the finals. 

Aside from chasing another trophy, the Tropang Texters are also out for a new record. If they succeed in winning the championship in the PBA Philippine Cup, they are going to be the first time to win this conference three in a row after the legendary Crispa Redmanizers team did so in 1983. Head coach Norman Black is confident they can do that, especially after surviving the tough series against the Aces. 

But he isn't allowing himself to be clouded by the thought just yet. "Rain or Shine is a different package as far as competition is concerned," he adds. He also notes that "they're very physical inside both offensively and defensively."

While Talk N Text is chasing after their own record, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters are gunning for back-to-back titles on their own. Needless to say, it is going to be a big battle waiting ahead for these two teams.

Which team do you think will run away with the PBA Philippine Cup crown?