(From PBA)
ALASKA is now well on its road to redemption.
Two gems on opposite ends of the court in the dying seconds enabled the Aces to escape with a 93-91 squeaker over Barangay Ginebra Sunday to earn the last semifinal ticket in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.
Those plays in front of some 21,000 predominantly pro-Ginebra fans boosted Alaska to a 3-2 win in the best-of-five quarterfinals series and into a race-to-four meeting with early qualifier Talk ‘N Text in the semis that start Wednesday.
The other semis pairing pits defending champion San Miguel Beer with B-Meg Derby Ace after the Llamados beat Rain or Shine, 105-100, in overtime earlier Sunday in their own deciding game.
“It’s such a euphoric feeling, winning this game,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone. “It’s almost sad someone has to lose this game. For sure, I’m glad it’s not us, but you couldn’t have had a more even series. It’s a tough one to lose and my heart goes out to them.
“But this series, these are the ones you remember, this kind of a series. It may just be in the quarterfinals but it felt like a championship series. So, if I may say it again, it’s sad someone has to lose.”
It all boiled down to the last 28.5 seconds, after Jayjay Helterbrand buried a triple to cap a 7-0 run and give Ginebra a 91-90 edge from an 84-90 deficit with 2:16 left in the game.
Diamon Simpson redeemed himself from back-to-back costly miscues in as many plays by converting a nifty assist from Joe Devance into a shotclock-beating undergoal stab that pushed Alaska up anew, only 5.0 ticks left.
Then Cyrus Baguio, playing against his former team, capped a brilliant second half by stealing the ball from Eric Menk in Ginebra’s ensuing play and then sinking the free throw that pegged the final count in the final second.
LA Tenorio wound up with a game-high 25 points with Simpson adding 24 and 22 rebounds and Baguio 22 points.
Willie Miller’s 19 led Barangay Ginebra, which grittily fought back and made it a close contest despite being on the shorter end for majority of the second half.
Menk added 15 points and Christopher Daniels 14 and 12 rebounds for the Kings.
What left a big question mark was the decision made by Barangay Ginebra coach Jong Uichico not to utilize Mark Caguioa, who showed up in full uniform but stayed on the bench the entire game, prompting most of the Ginebra fans to keep chanting his name in the hopes he will be fielded.
Caguioa, who averaged a locals-leading 14.8 points in the Kings’ first 18 games, scored only two points in only two attempts and four minutes of first half action in a 94-90 Game 4 win last Friday.
Still, Barangay Ginebra was in the thick of things with Menk even tying it up at 77, still 8:24 to go. Rudy Hatfield even kept the Kings within 82-84 before the Aces mustered their last surge of the series.
Triples by Baguio and Tenorio pushed Alaska up by 90-84, 2:16 left, while fanning the hopes of the outnumbered Alaska fans.
Then the Big Coliseum started reverberating with a louder cheer when Barangay Ginebra fought back, capped by an inadvertent Simpson follow-up to Helterbrand’s missed bank shot and the Aces import’s errant inbounds pass that led to a Menk steal and assist to Helterbrand.
It was a fitting ending to a really gripping contest.
Held to only three points on just two field tries in the first half, Daniels sprang to offensive life in the third period with 11 of his points while Intal added six of his own.
Yet even they could not match Alaska’s more balanced offense led by Baguio, whose back-to-back triples capped a 12-2 surge opening the quarter that gave the Aces a 52-46 spread.
Alaska was looking for a third Final Four stint in the last four conferences while Barangay Ginebra was eyeing a third straight semis and fourth in the last five conferences.
It seemed the Kings were well on their way to achieving their goal when they raced to an early 28-15 lead, going into the last 63 seconds of the opening period.
Miller was at the forefront of that opening attack, scoring nine of his 13 first half points during a 14-3 salvo from a 14-12 count.
But Alaska was like a bad dream that wouldn’t go away, staying within four points at the half mainly through the efforts of Simpson and Devance. (NC)
The Scores:
Alaska 93 - Tenorio 25, Simpson 24, Baguio 22, De Vance 10, Thoss 4, Hugnatan 4, Cablay 2, Cariaso 2, Dela Cruz 0.
Ginebra 91 - Miller 19, Menk 15, Daniels 14, Intal 11, Tubid 9, Hatfield 9, Salvacion 6, Helterbrand 6, Villanueva 2, Wilson 0, Cruz 0, Cortez 0.
Quarterscores: 17-28, 40-44, 68-65, 93-92.
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