Unbeaten Aces master of Kings

ANTIPOLO — Alaska Milk encountered tough opposition against a Barangay Ginebra team it swept in three games last season but prevailed in the end, 95-91, firming up its hold of Group A leadership in the Samsung PBA All-Filipino Cup eliminations at the Ynares Sports Center here last night.

Jun Limpot, the league leading scorer with an average of 28.5 points a game, almost matched that norm with 26 points but missed a potential game-tying shot in the closing seconds, allowing the Aces to keep their mastery of the Kings and stay unbeaten with three straight wins.

A number of Aces put up a sterling game but Don Allado stood out in the end as he scored seven of the team’s last nine points and pulled down one big offensive rebound that eventually broke the back of Ginebra.

Allado snared an offensive rebound after Mike Cortez muffed a right quartercourt jumper with Alaska holding a scary 93-91 lead time down to 29 seconds.

The Kings needed to make four fouls to send the Aces to the stripe but John Arigo coolly sank his two charities, stretching their lead to 95-91 with only 13 ticks left.

That count stood in the end as Mark Caguioa muffed two three-point attempts in the closing seconds.

The Kings squandered an early 11-point lead as they suffered their first loss in three games, yielding the solo leadership in Group B to the Coca-Cola Tigers (2-0).

"Ginebra is a quality opponent. We’re fortunate to play Talk N Text minus Asi Taulava and Vic Pablo and we’re lucky to play Ginebra in this gym and before this crowd. I think it’s a nice statement win for us," said Alaska coach Tim Cone in the game watched by a near sell-out crowd in this Antipolo venue.

Ginebra raced to an 11-point lead through the exploits of Romel Adducul at the outset of the second quarter but Alaska made a chase behind Mike Cortez and Stephen Padilla, taking a 51-45 spread at the half.

Averaging only three points a game, Adducul made 10 on 3-of—5 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 clip from the stripe. The former MBA star scored on a short jumper off EJ Feihl then sank two free throws as the Kings opened an 11-point margin at 39-28.

But Cortez, the top draft pick, made his own show in the second period, fuelling a spirited Alaska rally that had the Aces darting ahead at halftime.

Cortez matched his 10-point average right in the first 24 minutes of play. Padilla added six points in the decisive Alaska second-quarter attack on two triples.

The Kings shot 47.6 percent from the field in the first quarter but ended up with only a 39-percent clip in the first half. The Aces shot 43.5 percent in the first quarter and improved to 44.7 percent in the opening half.

In the second game, Sta. Lucia finally broke into the win-column by drubbing FedEx, 81-71. The victory proved too costly for the Realtors, though, with the team losing Kenneth Duremdes and Francis Adriano to different injuries.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola seeks to keep its amazing run, dating back to the All-Filipino last year, as it clashes with Purefoods in a road game starting at 5 p.m. today at the University of San Agustin gym in Iloilo City.

The Tigers set out for the game/ riding the momentum of a searing eight-game winning streak that included the team’s victories in Game Two, Three and Four of the 2002 All-Filipino Finals, a sweep of their four pre-season tuneup games and a two-game run start in the current season.

The fact that they did all these with a depleted lineup spoke well of the Tigers’ capability to defend the All-Filipino crown. Coca-Cola could only become more formidable a team upon the return of Johnny Abarrientos, Freddie Abuda, Estong Ballesteros and Chris Bolado from sickbay.

Purefoods, the Governors Cup champion last year, split its first two games this year, bowing to Ginebra then bouncing back against Shell.