Aces get back at Llamados

MANILA, Philippines - Swept by Purefoods (now called B-MEG Derby Ace) in four games in the Philippine Cup finals, Alaska Milk got some measure of revenge, beating the Llamados, 83-81, in their first meeting in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Xavier University Gym in Cagayan de Oro last night.

They were swept away in the all-Filipino finale yet they won their first confrontation in the reinforced tourney handicapped by the early ouster on fouls by import Diamon Simpson.

Willie Miller made the deciding basket on a drive off three defenders in the closing seconds as the Aces notched their second straight win following a 0-2 start in the season-ending tourney.

Miller redeemed himself after becoming the goat in their overtime loss to San Miguel Beer last Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Reynel Hugnatan and Tony dela Cruz also sank clutch baskets helping the Aces win the third leg of the Phoenix Fuel PBA on Tour.

Meanwhile, San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra clash at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Araneta Coliseum at the conclusion of the weeklong anniversary celebration of the league.

Former PBA commissioner Rudy Salud will grace the affair along with members of the Toyota and U-Tex teams which battled it out in the main game of the league’s inaugural bill on April 9, 1975 also at the Big Dome.

A trendy Suzuki motorcycle from Norkis, one Extreme Magic Sing, 10 short-term scholarship plans from Informatics and Molten basketballs will be raffled off while the Bingo Bola ng PBA offers P35,000 on the first draw, P10,000 on the second draw and P5,000 on the third draw.

Singers Luke Mijares and Paolo Santos will perform at the break.

The Llamados suffered a second straight defeat after nine consecutive victories in the season as they squandered a 10-point lead at the start of the final quarter, held down to two points in the last two minutes of the contest.

Still, they had a chance to win the game but Wade muffed a jumper with the count tied at 81-all with time down to 4.5 seconds.