Aces gain semis seat; Kings stay alive

Game tomorrow (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

5 p.m. – Ginebra vs Rain or Shine

MANILA, Philippines - Alaska Milk gained its first semifinals stint in the post-Tim Cone era as it manhandled Meralco from the opening tip and breezed to an 88-70 victory to advance to the PBA Philippine Cup Final Four at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

Calvin Abueva, limited to playing just 15 minutes due to fouls Wednesday, bounced back strong and helped set the tone of the game early as the Aces completed a two-game sweep of the Bolts in the quarterfinals and moved to the next round against back-to-back defending all-Filipino champion Talk n Text.

The best-of-seven semifinal series begins Thursday starting at 6:45 p.m. at the MOA Arena in Pasay.

On a hot run from the closing part of the elimination round, the Aces pummeled the Bolts with a 22-7 opening attack and dominated the game all the way to the finish.

“I didn’t expect it to be like this. It’s a dream come true,” said Luigi Trillo, who steered the team to its first semis since its 2010 Fiesta Conference title conquest under Cone in only his second conference as Alaska head coach.

“Not taking anything from the effort of my team, we had some luck with Meralco being a tired team, Sol Mercado playing injured and Calvin (Abueva) fresh after playing only a few minutes Wednesday,” said Trillo.

“We took advantage of our opportunities and everything came together,” Trillo added.

Abueva shied away from getting into foul-trouble situation early and led the team with 18 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, two assists and one steal in a solid 33-minute game.

“I played very badly in the first game as I lost my focus and I just made sure to make up tonight,” said Abueva.

Cyrus Baguio and Jayvee Casio were their usual steady selves and the rest of the team provided support as the Aces arranged a first playoff series with the Tropang Texters after their semis duel in the 2010 Fiesta Conference. Alaska won that showdown with Diamon Simpson as import.

“Even before the start of the season, our target is to make all the way to the finals and be a champion. It’s tough playing Talk n Text but I think we’ll have our chance,” said Baguio.

“One this for sure is it’s gonna be tough. They have the experience in terms of always being there. We have our hands full obviously as Talk n Text is a more solid team,” said Trillo.

“But I think this series (against Meralco) prepared us for Talk n Text. They’re both playing drive-and-kick basketball. Coach Norman (Black) has set plays but they still love to run,” Trillo added.

Barangay Ginebra gutted it out to force a rubber match with Rain or Shine following a 79-77 decision later in the night.

Rudy Hatfield and Chris Ellis delivered big hustle plays at the finish as the Kings overcame early double-digit deficits, avenging their 65-82 blowout loss in Game One.

The Aces outran and outgunned the Bolts, leading by as many as 18 points at 86-68 and 88-70.

“Meralco is really tired. They played three games in five days,” said Trillo.