Ellis ibinangon ang Alaska

MANILA, Philippines - Tinulungan in Rosell Ellis ang Alaska Milk na makabangon mula sa three-game na kabiguan at maibigay kay coach Tim Cone ang personal milestone sa pamamagitan ng 94-84 panalo laban sa Purefoods Giants sa Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference sa Araneta Coliseum.

Nagbabalik para sa isang laban sa local pro league, gumuhit si Ellis sa kanyang pagbabalik ng marka sa pamamagitan ng solidong double-doble performance na 26 points at 16 rebounds at wakasan ng Aces ang kanilang five-game kabiguan mula pa sa Philippine Cup finals kontra sa Talk N Text Tropang Texters.

At sa pagpako ng Aces sa kanilang unang panalo sa apat na panimula ng season-ending reinforced tourney, nakopo din ni Cone ang kanyang 602nd career victory at makuha ang pagiging winningest coach ng liga, upang tabunan ang record ni coach Baby Dalupan na may 601 panalo.

‘‘It’s an honor to win so many games but I don’t think I have surpassed coach Baby’s record counting his victories in the MICAA. To me, (I’ve gained those record number of wins) because of longevity and credit also goes to my players and to the team management who let me stay so long. In my mind, Baby Dalupan remains the best coach ever,’’ ani Cone.

‘‘It’s not about how many times you won a game. Coach Baby is a legend who I emulate and look up to,’’ dagdag ni Cone.

At binigyan kredito ng beteranong coach na gumiya na sa Aces sapul pa noong 1989 si Ellis na nagbigay ng solidong depensa at makapasok na rin sa win column na torneo.

‘‘Rosell is fresh from his stint in the Australian league where he led his team (Townslide Crocodiles) to a semifinal finish. He’s very much in shape and he’s the catalyst in tonight’s game,’‘ patungkol ni Cone kay Ellis, ang kanilang import nang mapagwagian nila ang nasabing torneo noong 2007.

‘‘In fairness to Galen Young, we’re also happy to have him back. It so happened that he’d been almost a month off when we got him. He’s about to coach a team in the CBA. He’s not in shape but he did us a favor, playing for us while we await for Rosell,” wika ni Cone.

Sa ikalawang laro, bagamat hindi nakalaro si Jay Washington bunga ng back spasm, hindi naging hadlang ito upang itala ng San Miguel Beer ang pa­nalo sa Coke, 106-91.