Alaska Aces Crowned 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup Champions!

Image: http://www.interaksyon.com

 On Sunday, May 19, the Alaska Aces swept their finals series against the Brgy. Ginebra Kings to win their 14th title in the Philippine Basketball Association. The Aces staged a late surge to pull ahead of their competition despite being down for majority of the first three quarters after they went on a 20-3 run at the mid-point of the final quarter. The game ended with 104-80 on the scoreboard, completing the sweep in this Best-of-5 Finals series. Alaska won Game 1 in an 87-70 game and they also won convincingly during Game 2 with via a 104-90 win.

Alaska Aces' 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup trophy is third first in three years and also Luigi Trillo's first championship trophy after taking over the head coaching stint for the Aces, following in the footsteps of Tim Cone and Joe Banal. The championship sweep came before a record crowd attendance at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.


Sonny Thoss was named the Finals MVP after he averaged 14 points. But more importantly, Thoss played a crucial role in putting a stop to Ginebra import Vernon Macklin's dominance inside the paint. Aside from Thoss, rookie Calvin "The Beast" Abueva and JVee Casio also contributed to the scoring frenzy for the Aces that helped them put their competition aside in all of the games played throughout the series. On the flip side, Mark Caguioa and the rest of the Brgy. Ginebra Kings failed to sink the ball into the basket during their many attempts at the 6-minute stage of the fourth quarter.

This conference was dominated by the Alaska Aces from the get-go. They were at the top of the team standings by the end of the Elimination Round, which earned them a twice-to-beat advantage over the #8 team, Air 21 Express. Eventually, they capitalized on that and eliminated Air 21 even after just one game. They also met with the San Mig Coffee Mixers during Semifinals Round, but they emerged victorious after four games.

What do you think was the reason that Brgy. Ginebra was unable to clinch even a single win in this series?

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?

Alaska, TNT Took Over 2-1 Series Lead at PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup Semis

Alaska Aces (89) def. San Mig Coffee Mixers (82)

After dropping the first game of the series, Alaska Aces is just one win away from its first finals stint in the PBA post-Tim Cone. The ironic thing is that it could happen against the team that their former coach is now handling - the San Mig Coffee Mixers. Youngsters Calvin Abueva and RJ Jazul combined to do some damage in the game 3 of their series in the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup Semis. The Aces managed to pull off an OT victory against the Mixers during the opening game of Wednesday's action via an 89-82 game.

The Aces can wrap up the series when the two teams meet again on Saturday, but coach Luigi Trillo does not want to get too excited at the prospect. Instead, he wanted to instill in his players' minds that "it's just another game". He then adds, "we can't get too excited."

He should know well enough as he's coached this team under former head coach Tim Cone's wing. Trillo is right to think so as Cone is confident that this series ain't over yet. He quips, "We've been here before, we've handled this situation before." Ironically, Cone wanted the Game 4 to take place soon because he was hoping for his team to "carry the emotion into the next one."

Rookie Calvin Abueva came off the bench during Game 3 but still ended up with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, RJ Jazul, who also came off the bench, contributed 6 points during overtime to spark the Aces to its win.

The performance over at San Mig Coffee Mixers isn't paltry, though. Denzel Bowles chipped in 19 points and 15 rebounds while Marc Pingris and Mark Barroca each had 15 points under their names. By the relentless charge from the Aces staved them off, despite holding a 16-point lead at one point in the game. They also nearly lost during the remaining seconds of regulation, but extended the game when Bowles converted his free throw with the game time shy of 5 seconds. They, however, had 5 turnovers at the overtime period on top of a poor 1-of-5 shooting percentage.

Aside from Abueva, four other Aces players scored in double figures namely Cyrus Baguio, JV Casio, Sonny Thoss, and Rob Dozier.

Talk N Text (85) def. Brgy. Ginebra (79)

The story for the other series in the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup semis is a case of deja vu. Talk N Text dropped the first game of the semis but won the succeeding two, even with a new import in tow after they let go of 7-footer Jerome Jordan. Talk N Text took a gamble by replacing their import and it paid off, such that they are now at the threshold of the finals. Tony Mitchell was former Rookie of the Year at the NBA Developmental League and he staged an impressive showing that lived up to his reputation. He helped the Texters gain a 2-1 lead in the series via an 85-79 win versus the Brgy. Ginebra squad.

The 6-foot-5 import exhibited tremendous flair on the court and agility. Talk N Text head coach noted how they're "in a very interesting situation". He reveals that they did not have any expectations coming into Game 3 of the Semis series but he is happy with how Mitchell played.

If Black has learned anything in the PBA, though, he knows that you can't be overconfident. "The series is far from over," he notes. "They had not seen Tony before and had no idea how to prepare against him. But they've seen him once and they will surely be ready in the next game."

Black also did not forget to acknowledge his locals, whom he felt stepped up given the fact that Jared Dillinger and Jimmy Alapag did not suit up for Game 3. Mitchell scored 29 points overall, but Fonacier contributed 20, Jayson Castro and Ranidel de Ocampo both had 15 points. The rest showed even scoring and he got contributions from nearly anyone he brought to the court.

On Ginebra's end, import Vernon Macklin led them in scoring with 17 points along with Kerby Raymundo. But no other player, aside from Tenorio, scored in double figures.

Images courtesy of www.pba.inquirer.net

PBA 2013 Semis Series Both Tied

Four game dates in and both semis series are tied. Both the Talk N Text Tropang Texters and Alaska Aces snagged a win in the second game off of their respective series, which brings the competition back to square one. With only three games left, Game 3 of the series is going to be crucial because it means the winning team has one foot in the Finals seat of the ongoing PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup.

Talk N Text def. Ginebra (85-79)

When Talk N Text dropped the first game of their semis series with Brgy. Ginebra, many feared that the latter will pull away and that Talk N Text will be history. But like the true warriors that they are, they managed to pull off a win last Sunday to even up the series. They were down 9 points heading into the fourth quarter but staged a rally with Ranidel de Ocampo scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter alone despite nursing a foul trouble. But it was his three-point shot under the final two minutes of the game that closed off any possibility of Ginebra making a come back and securing an early series lead. 

Head coach Norman Black viewed that game as a do-or-die situation for his team because he said "0-2 is a difficult situation." He added, "we have to survive and tie the series or we're in big trouble."

Defense was key part of Talk N Text's success in Game 2 of the semis as they held down Ginebra to below 80 points in this game, a stark contrast from the Game 1 result wherein they scored over 100. 

TALK N’ TEXT 85 – Castro 22, Alapag 17, De Ocampo 16, Jordan 14, Carey 6, Al-Hussaini 5, Reyes 4, Aban 1, Raymundo 0, Fonacier 0, Ferriols 0.

BARANGAY GINEBRA 79 – Raymundo 17, Macklin 15, Urbiztondo 15, Helterbrand 12, Tenorio 8, Ellis 6, Taha 2, Baracael 2, Maierhofer 2.

Alaska Aces def. San Mig Coffee Mixers (86-67)

Like Talk N Text, Alaska Aces also revitalized its chances if making it past the semis round after beating the San Mig Coffee Mixers during Monday's game in the PBA. Rob Dozier had a monster performance, fueling his team to its first win in this series.

Dozier tied his career high in the PBA of 28 points along with 27 rebounds (the new season-high) and making it the team's first win against their former coach. Before this game, Alaska has lost 9 games to San Mig Coffee Mixers in a row so they not only tied the series but also broke that losing skid. According to Aces head coach Luigi Trillo, "it's a battle between two competitive teams, and it's playoff time," noting the rugged moments that transpired during the game.

Defense was the name of the game as San Mig was limited to only 14 points each during the first two quarters. On the third quarter, they only slightly improved their offensive output to 16. The lone bright spots for the Mixers were PJ Simon and Joe Devance. Meanwhile, Jayvee Casio and Gabby Espinas helped out their import.

ALASKA 86 – Dozier 28, Casio 16, Thoss 8, Baguio 8, Hontiveros 5, Espinas 4, Jazul 2, Laure 2, Dela Cruz 2, Bugia 1, Ramos 0, Reyes 0, Eman 0,Belasco 0.

SAN MIG COFFEE 67 – Devance 15, Simon 15, Bowles 8, Yap 5, Barroca 4, Alvarez 3, Mallari 3, Pingris 3, Reavis 3, Ponferrada 2, Gaco 2, Najorda 2, De Ocampo 2, Pacana 0, Gonzales 0.

If you want to know more about the rest of the Semis schedule, you can check my previous post here.

Disclaimer: Photos and box scores courtesy of www.pba.ph

PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup Semis Schedule

The quarterfinals round came swiftly in the PBA with the number one team, Alaska Aces, finishing off its opponent, Air 21 Express, after having a twice-to-beat advantage heading into the quarterfinals round. However, the story is far more different in the other twice-to-beat matchup as the Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel showcased their "never say die" attitude as they battled Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Eventually, they managed to defeat the latter in both meetings, sealing them a date at the Semifinals round with the Tropang Texters of Talk N Text.

Speaking of Talk N Text, they also qualified into the Semis fairly early after they swept Petron Blaze Boosters in their own Best of 3 Series. Meanwhile, San Mig Coffee Mixers' series against the Meralco Bolts went the entire length of the Best of 3 competition, but they eventually ended up on top during last Wednesday's game.

The semifinals round is scheduled to tip off today in the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The semifinals round will be a Best-of-5 series with the two winning teams moving on to the Finals round. Below is a list of the game schedules. Make sure to take note so you won't miss a single game!

courtesy of www.pba.inquirer.net

Which team do you think will go head to head in the finals? Share your predictions below.

PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup: The Week That Was

Double Lane Violation Fiasco in Aces-Coffee Mixers Game

The PBA officiating team has been in the spotlight yet again after a double lane violation call was protested during the match between Alaska Aces and San Mig Coffee Mixers last Saturday, March 23. Aces coach Luigi Trillo protested the violation call noting how it cost them a shot at winning the game.

An official statement was made by the PBA via Media Bureau Chief Willie Marcial saying, "Whether the shot is made or not, once there's a lane violation, a jump ball will be called and the shot will be waved off."

The incident took place during Aces' Calvin Abueva's stint at the free throw line with 12.1 seconds left in the game. He had the opportunity to tie up the game if he converted the second free throw, but since Jazul and Baguio of the Aces and Simon and Barroca of the Mixers came into the lane before the shot was released, the free throw was nullified.

Coach Luigi Trillo claimed that "[that] call took it from us."

Due to his protest, however, the PBA fined Aces head coach Luigi Trillo P40,000 due to his complaints. According to the PBA's statement, the first P20,000 fine was for "repeatedly issuing statements to the press that tend to undermine the public confidence in the game's outcome...and confuse the public as to the correctness of the call made by the game officials." The other P20,000 fine was supposedly for "violating the rule prohibiting any member of a team from approaching or confronting the game officials before, during or after a game."

Barako Bull Continues Its Losing Woes

The Barako Bull Energy Cola had a promising start in the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup after winning their first two outings. But since clinching their third win, it has been a downward spiral for them. Last Sunday, they eventually lost their sixth game in a row against a Caguiao-less Barangay Ginebra squad.

This has prompted consultant Rajko Toroman to look at other possibilities in order to restore the franchise's performance in the conference. The team's current standing of 3-7 puts them second to last in the league standings. Hence, the coach and management staff at Barako Bull is sensing some desperation with news that there might be a possibility of replacing their import Evan Brock. When asked to comment regarding this bit of news, Toroman said, "All things are being considered."

Rain or Shine Ends Losing Streak vs TNT

Since Rain or Shine was swept by the Talk N Text Tropang Texters during the PBA Philippine Cup, they had not been able to get one against their opponent. So when these two teams met last Sunday, March 24, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, all eyes were on coach Yeng Guiao's squad if they would be able to end their losing skid against Talk N Text.

And they were able to finally snap that losing streak, and at a very convincing manner at that, with a 31-point lead against the Texters via a 116-85 rout. The Elasto Painters had a strong start to the game, which eventually carried on for the remainder of the game.

Talk N Text forward Ranidel de Ocampo cited how the Elasto Painters played an inspired ball game. Meanwhile, the loss brings Talk N Text down to number four in the team standings, which means they are now in a tie with San Mig Coffee Mixers, Barangay Ginebra and Air 21 at 5-5.

Renaldo Balkman and the Choking Incident

Image credit: Spin.ph

The Petron Blaze Boosters entered into their game yesterday, March 8, versus the Alaska Aces with a 5-1 standing. Both teams are tied for first place and the winner of this match would gain solo lead in the ongoing 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup. Hence, fans came in droves at the Smart Araneta Coliseum expecting a tough match between the top two teams of the conference. And that is certainly what the fans got... and then some.

Prior to this game, Renaldo Balkman has shown great performance while suiting up for the Petron Blaze Boosters managing to get five straight wins and shooting to the top of the team standings. But when a series of calls did not turn his way and with his team on the verge of losing the competition for solo leadership, Balkman went from solid baller to a complete madman. To give you an idea as to how quickly the situation went from bad to worse, he ended up shoving and choking his own teammate. Yes, his own teammate. And the teammate in question is no less than team captain Arwind Santos, who is also one of Petron's franchise players.

Watch this clip from InterAKTV to watch the series of actions leading up to the choking incident involving his teammate Arwind Santos:

Right now, fans are enraged at social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Many have even campaigned for getting rid of Balkman, citing the player's unacceptable attitude during yesterday's game as tipping point. As a former NBA player, fans expected more out of Balkman given that he has had his stint at the world's most prestigious basketball league. But I guess you can't teach class.

Since that incident, however, Balkman took to his Twitter account to express his apologies to his teammates, the fans, and most especially to Arwind Santos. Balkman was also summoned to the Commissioner's Office on Monday wherein the penalties to his actions were to be determined.

San Mig Coffee Mixers Stain Aces' Record

Image: interaksyon.com

San Mig Coffee Mixers has done what five other teams were unable to do at the ongoing 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup - defeat Alaska Aces. When these two teams met during the main game yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, coach Tim Cone's crew ended up victorious over Luigi Trillo's Alaska Aces via a 75-68 game.

In doing so, San Mig Coffee Mixers improved its standing to 3-3 after winning three consecutive since dropping the same amount of ball games to kick off the conference. Despite the loss, Alaska Aces remains at the top of the standing but they now share the lead with Petron Blaze Boosters, also with a 5-1 standing.

The San Mig Coffee Mixers had a slow start in the game but they get to work during the second quarter wherein they eventually established a 12-point lead over the Aces during halftime. During the third quarter, they continued on their rampage and eventually blew up their lead to 24, limiting Alaska Aces to only 36 points.

Alaska, however, did not give up and made a run but time wasn't in their favor at that point. Robert Dozier led Alaska Aces with a 16-point, 18-rebounds performance. But Cyrus Baguio and Calvin Abueva were both not as fiery as they normally are, only combining for 13 points for the entire game. Meanwhile, five San Mig Coffee Mixers players scored in double figures with Denzel Bowles scoring another double-double.

Meanwhile, check out the image below to see the rest of the schedule for this week:

Make sure to visit us again for more updates and news on the league.

Aces vs Coffee Mixers: Which Winning Streak Will End?

Robert Dozier of the Alaska Aces

Alaska Aces is the league-leader in the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup with a 5-0 record. Meanwhile, the San Mig Coffee Mixers has had a slow start but since replacing their original import with the returning Denzel Bowles, wherein they attempt to improve their standing to 3-3. The two teams are scheduled to face off against each other in the 7:30PM match on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Coaches of both teams anticipate that it will be quite the battle. Tim Cone of the San Mig Coffee Mixers revealed, "It's going to be tough. Alaska is playing at a very high level with great confidence, and we're still trying to get our feet under us after a poor start."

He noted, however, that the game will be a battle of execution. The team that can execute the ball better is going to end up with the win, Cone predicts.

While coach Tim Cone is hopeful that his team will execute better than the Aces during their match today, he has one thing working in his favor: his current record against Alaska, his former team, is 6-0. Thus, coach Luigi Trillo of the Aces is not going to take this game lightly. He even went as far as to say that the current 2-3 standing of the Coffee Mixers is not indicative of the true potential of this team.

According to Trillo, "Denzel Bowles really changes that team and so does Joe Devance... they always find a way to play together and share the load."

Trillo, therefore, is hoping to take away any match-up problems that the San Mig Coffee Mixers might exploit during the game. But there is one important thing he'd like to point out to his boys as they step into the court tonight - San Mig Coffee Mixers is still the reigning champions of this conference.

Since Denzel Bowles replaced Matt Rodgers on the Mixers' lineup, they had won two consecutive games after three losses to kick off the conference.

Barako Bull on an Energized Start for PBA 2012-13 Commissioner's Cup

Image: PBA on AKTV Official Facebook Fan Page

The PBA 2012-13 Commissioner's Cup has kicked off last Friday, February 8, 2013, and in a span of three game days, fans were treated to a lot of surprises. The commissioner recently indicated that the new multi-player trades that transpired before the onset of the new conference signaled a more competitive league with most teams now having an equal fighting chance at the crown.

Barako Bull Energy Cola is one of those teams that had surprised fans, to the delight of the loyal Barako Brigade. Even before the conference started, the new acquisitions and a new head coaching staff had provided Seigle with a positive outlook about his team. The PBA veteran believes that the team is a serious contender at the Commissioner's Cup. According to the 9-time All Star, "We have a very good system now. It's very active and I always get good looks (at the basket)."

Seigle also notes that the addition of coach Rajko Toroman as part of the team's coaching staff gave a major boost to the team. "It's great that we have him now in the team. We got to learn a lot of things, new ideas and better approach," says Seigle.

If it were any proof of that, Barako Bull currently leads the league in standings with a 2-0 start to the Commisssioner's Cup. As of February 12, 2013, they are at the top of the pack. Meanwhile, Alaska, Air21 and Meralco are tied for number two with a 1-0 standing. GlobalPort Batang Pier is third at 1-1 after Barako Bull defeated them 98-88 at overtime last Sunday, February 10, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Mark Macapagal hit the crucial three point shot from the corner that sent the game into overtime, wherein GlobalPort scored only 2 points to Barako Bull's 12.

For a complete list of the game results since the opening day, check them below:

February 8, Friday

Global Port def. Petron Blaze - 94-92
Barako Bull def. San Mig Coffee Mixers - 79-75

February 9, Saturday

Alaska Aces def. Rain or Shine - 83-81
Meralco Bolts def. Talk N Text - 99-92

February 10, Sunday

Barako Bull def. GlobalPort - 98-88 (OT)
Air21 def. Brgy. Ginebra - 74-70

To see the rest of the schedule for February, you can check it here.

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?

Talk N Text and Alaska Aces Vye for Last Finals Slot

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters are back in the finals after clobbering the San Mig Coffee Mixers during their Game 5 match off of their series at the MOA Arena yesterday, January 3, 2013. The 90-83 win helped to secure the first half of the finals match, with the other pairing being between Talk N Text and Alaska Aces wherein the former have two chances to close out the series with a 3-2 lead.

The Talk N Text Tropang Texters are one step away from being back at the finals seat but head coach Norman Black isn't one to get too complacent. One thing is for sure, they are eyeing to close it out today as they go head-to-head at the PBA Philippine Cup semifinal duel. Allowing the Aces to take one more win will put them in a do-or-die situation and Black cannot afford that.

According to Black, "We will try our best to finish it...". However, he admitted that it won't be a walk in the park because "there is no quit in the Alaska team."

On the flip side, Aces head coach Luigi Trillo knows his team is not out of the fight just yet. "It's not about the talent on the other side at this point... We cannot make excuses". Hence, Aces fans can expect it to be a juggernaut as these two teams go to battle tonight.

If you can remember, several players were fined and ejected (albeit no suspensions were made) by the Commissioner's office during Game 3 of this series. Among the players fined and ejected due to the altercations that transpired in such a heated game were Jason Castro, Cyrus Baguio, Calvin Abueva, Gabby Espinas, Sonny Thoss, Jared Dillinger, and Kelly Williams. Expect no less than a battle tonight!

PBA Philippine Cup 2013: Alaska Aces Preview

Maybe the most improved team in the PBA 2012-13 season in terms of youth, experience, and depth of the roster. The Alaska Aces roster really captured my interest this year. Man they got LENGTH! The dawn of the new era of “Gatas Republic.”

For years, Alaska has been regarded as a family-friendly and a very wholesome team. Just pure basketball, no elbows being thrown, technicals called, and trash talking in the court. But that will all change this year as they acquired their second overall pick from SSC Calvin “The Beast” Abueva.

In my past post about winners and losers of the Tenorio trade, I talked about how Alaska got the trade right by acquiring youth and experience with last year’s top pick Jvee Casio and proven veteran guard “Cebuano Hotshot” Dondon Hontiveros. And with Cyrus Baguio, Mac Baracael (G/F) and Brandon Cablay, Alaska is quite tough in the backcourt for speed, athleticism and outside shooting.

But they’re not done yet. Alaska also has the lengthiest front court. Sonny Thoss will have his usual starting minutes at the Center spot and will be backed up by a decent post defender Samigue Eman. The PF position is stacked with reliable veterans such as Nic Belasco, Tony dela Cruz, both can play the post both offensively and defensively and shoot outside and behind the arc.

Now the questions for Alaska are:

Should they tame or unleash the beast?

 We all know what San Sebastian basketball is all about – physical. He can easily get 20-10 in NCAA any game he wants to. He can drive strong to the basket and finish. He loves the open court basketball. However, Abueva, sometimes, is too physical that he’s in the borderline of playing pesky and being dirty. Hailed as the beast, he has his own shares of technical fouls and flagrant fouls with that style.

Abueva is a terrific talent, but will coach Luigi Trillio run his triangle with him? Or will he let Casio run the offense and make Abueva as an option.

How will the new Triangle Offense work?

Coach Tim Cone’s triangle is a tested and proven system, and it was badly missed by Alaska for the past seasons. Now, Coach Luigi Trillio takes over and introduces his own kind of triangle. Alaska will have a whole season to familiarize it, and with Casio and Hontiveros on board, along with big men that can play outside, they have all the good pieces to surround Sonny Thoss.

Clearly, this team is a dark horse this season. Their fate depends on how their system works for them. If Casio can play their system right, then they have a good chance in the top 4. But it will surely take a while for this team to fully embrace its new system. Plus, Abueva is still stuck in NCAA. They may struggle at first, but they’ll surely be an exciting team to watch this season.

Read more Cup Previews

Air21Express

MeralcoBolts

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters

Petron Blaze Boosters

Barako Bull Energy

San Mig coffee Mixers

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel

Talk 'N Text Tropan Texters

GlobalPort Batang Pier