Aces complete sweep, bag Commissioner's Cup crown
Kings simply outclassed
(UPDATED) Like what their most famous jingle says, “Wala pa ring tatalo sa Alaska!”
Coming through with another series of big blows in the stretch, the Aces completed a sweet sweep of the embattled Barangay Ginebra Kings Sunday night via a masterful 104-80 victory to clinch the PBA Commissioner’s Cup before a sellout crowd at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Saving their best for last, the Aces uncorked a decisive 24-2 windup that proved more than enough to turn a tight game into a romp en route to seizing the franchise’s 14th overall league title and the first since the 2010 Fiesta Conference.
Proving he truly deserves the Best Import award, ever-efficient Rob Dozier was the Aces’ pillar of strength anew with game highs of 27 points and 20 rebounds but it was his local teammates who finished the job in style.
Eventual Finals MVP Sonny Thoss, heady playmaker JVee Casio and superb rookie Calvin Abueva took turns during that blinding pull-away from a slim 80-78 lead, finally putting away the overmatched Kings in front of 23,436 fans, the highest gate attendance ever recorded in league history.
It was the 14th title overall for Alaska since joining the pro league in 1986, and first since bagging the 2010 Fiesta Conference title. The 14 championships now represent a league-best, as the Aces broke a tie with the fabled Crispa Redmanizers, who won 13.
The Aces completely dominated this series, winning by an average margin of 18.3 points.
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LA Tenorio, adjudged the Best Player of the Conference, tallied a team-high 18 points while four other teammates churned in at least 11 markers but those weren’t enough as the Gin Kings crumbled in the face of the Aces’ defensive pressure, going without a field goal in the final 7:39 of play.
The Main Man: “The Boss” once again re-asserted himself for the Aces.
The team’s heart and soul on the defensive end, Thoss imposed his will in the paint in the fourth, racking up all but four of his 13 points while completely helping slow down Ginebra import Vernon Macklin.
More than his offensive output, it was Thoss’ defensive presence that spelled the big difference in this one-sided series, underscored by Ginebra’s horrendous eight-point output in the fourth canto while shooting bricks in the last 7:39.
Honorable Mention: Standing a mere 5-foot-10, Casio has a knack for coming up big when needed.
Like a cold-blooded predator smelling blood, the former La Salle standout drilled in eight huge points, highlighted by a rare four-point play off JJ Helterbrand, amid that searing 24-2 rally that clearly took the fight out from the Gin Kings.
Casio went on to finish with 18 points but his backcourt stability and poise under duress typify his team’s renewed brand of play.
Game Turning Point: What was expected to be a grind-it-out finish suddenly turned into a breezy cruise for the Aces.
After nip-and-tuck affair that saw a Chris Ellis floater pulled Ginebra to within 78-80, Alaska tightened up its defensive screws anchored by Thoss and went for the kill mainly behind Casio and Abueva in that telling 24-2 closeout.
Split charities by Kerby Raymundo and Helterbrand prevented the Gin Kings’ from a complete meltdown but the Aces proved just too hot and too strong in the crunch.
They Said It:
“Give credit to Ginebra. Si Macklin may injury and Mark (Caguioa) was not 100%. It was a different Ginebra team. We were playing more to their rhythm. Give credit to the guys and they were confident in the second half. Fatigue settled in for Ginebra. Sa totoo lang hindi ko in-expect ‘to. A lot of thanking kay Sir Fred (Uytengsu). We got (RJ) Jazul, we got (Gabby) Espinas, we got Dondon (Hontiveros) and JVee then swerte kami kay Robert and then Calvin. These guys are character guys. I am too overwhelmed. I didn’t think not by any means that it would come to this. He's (Joaqui Trillo) been with the organization for a long time. We really wanted this for him (Joaqui) and for Fred,” stated Alaska coach Luigi Trillo.
ALASKA (104) - Dozier 27, Abueva 22, Casio 18, Thoss 13, Baguio 7, Jazul 6, Hontiveros 5, Reyes 3, Espinas 2, Belasco 1, Ramos 0, Eman 0, Bugia 0, Laure 0, Dela Cruz 0.
GINEBRA (80) - Tenorio 18, Ellis 14, Macklin 12, Caguioa 12, Helterbrand 11, Baracael 5, Raymundo 4, Urbiztondo 2, Mamaril 2, Taha 0, Labagala 0, Espiritu 0, Hatfield 0.
Quarters: 23-20, 44-48, 71-72, 104-80
