Aces, Hotshots clash in Commissioner’s Cup debut

Games Tuesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

4:15 p.m. – NLEX vs Rain or Shine

7 p.m. – Purefoods vs Alaska

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Cup second-placer Alaska Milk and NLEX, with its highly touted import Al Thornton, finally make their PBA Commissioner’s Cup debuts, taking on Purefoods Star and Rain or Shine, respectively, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Tuesday night.

The Road Warriors and the Elasto Painters slug it out at 4:15 p.m. then the Aces and the Hotshots square off at 7 p.m. in the first play date of the mid-season tourney at the Big Dome.

“It will be very tough for us. Purefoods is a great team coming off a conference they’re not satisfied with. They have the winningest coach with an import who knows their system and players in and out,” said Alaska coach Alex Compton, expecting a tough test in its first game after finishing second to San Miguel Beer in the recent all-Filipino tourney.

Purefoods coach Tim Cone feels the same way though.

“It’s always tougher to play the runners-up than the champions. The runners-up are still always motivated going into the next conference,” said Cone. “We expect Alaska to come out firing on all cylinders and we’re bracing for a tough, tough game.”

Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao believes they have an advantage versus NLEX especially as they have broken in import Rick Jackson.

“Asi Taulava will also have his matchup against Rick Jackson which solves our perennial match-up problem. The question that needs to be answered is can we match our locals against their import,” said Guiao.

NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez is thankful with their stint in a Dubai international tourney, saying it helped get Thornton into shape.

“He’s not in shape in Dubai. He’s quite in it now and I expect him to help our team in scoring,” said Fernandez of the 14th pick overall in the 2007 NBA Draft.

Though missing the Philippine Cup crown by a game, the Aces insist they’re the underdogs versus the Hotshots.

But the Aces could really be in for a tough night if what Blakely and his teammates showed versus the Globalport Batang Pier Friday would be any indication.

Blakely started the game swatting away the first field goal attempts of Globalport import CJ Leslie, and the one-time Governors Cup Best Import awardee went on to dominate the game, leading the Hotshots to an 83-70 win over the Batang Pier.

The former Vermont U standout, only a little over 6-foot-4, proved he’s capable matching up against a taller rival, coming through with a remarkable near triple-double job of 26 points, 18 rebounds and seven blocks to get Purefoods back on the winning track after being eliminated in the Philippine Cup quarterfinals.

Alaska import DJ Covington is likely to get an early baptism of fire versus Blakely.

Listed at six feet and nine inches, Covington turned out to be just 6’5” ¾ under the PBA official measurement.

But with him is his reputation as a rebounder and a defender making him a two-time Big South Defensive Player of the Year in the US NCAA.

In his senior year with the Keydets, Covington averaged a team-high 20.1 points on an efficient 59 percent shooting from the field on top of 106 blocks to finish his stint with a career total of 272 rejections – a Virginia Military Institute record.

He came on board at Alaska as the team failed to get Rob Dozier’s release in the Dubai league.

The Aces won their last PBA title in the Commissioner’s Cup two years ago with Dozier as import.