No excuses from Compton

In the PBA, Alaska has always been known for its resiliency but losing three key players in its rotation is a burden that may be too tough to shake off for coach Alex Compton even if the Aces are all about “We Not Me.”

Starting point guard Jvee Casio is lost for the rest of the Commissioner’s Cup Finals with a bruised right knee and so is one-time league MVP Eric Menk, hobbled by a strained calf. Vic Manuel is also down with a torn right calf muscle. Casio has missed Alaska’s last 15 games, Menk the last five and Manuel the last nine.

Without the three players, Compton has had to shorten his rotation and against Rain Or Shine’s depth in the best-of-7 title series, it’s a recipe for disaster. Compton needs a full complement to make sure he has fresh legs down the stretch. He likes to pressure in the backcourt, force turnovers and run out for easy transition baskets. But that takes manpower.

It’s no wonder that in the Finals, Rain Or Shine has scored more bench and fastbreak points in every game. The disparity is glaring in bench production with the Painters way ahead, 67-26, in Game 1, 62-22 in Game 2 and 75-50 in Game 3. In fastbreak points, Rain Or Shine had more, 17-5, in Game 1, 10-3 in Game 2 and 16-7 in Game 3.

Alaska had its chances in Games 1 and 2. The Aces entered the fourth quarter in both outings on top but couldn’t sustain the momentum, falling apart at the seams down the stretch. Losing steam was evident as the Aces just couldn’t match the Painters’ energy and intensity in the final minutes.

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“No excuses,” said Compton after Alaska dropped a 112-108 decision in Game 3 last Wednesday. “We had mental mistakes that cost us Games 1 and 2. I won’t even talk about missing Vic, Jvee and Eric. You didn’t hear Cleveland make excuses in last season’s NBA Finals.” Compton referred to the Cavs who lost to the Golden State Warriors in six with Kevin Love sidelined the entire stretch and Kyrie Irving out from Game 2.

What could spark a comeback from Alaska is the notion that the Aces could do to the Painters what San Miguel Beer did to them in the previous conference. Alaska was up, 3-0, in the Philippine Cup Finals then the Beermen made basketball history by becoming the first team anywhere to capture the crown from 0-3 in a best-of-7 series. It’s been done before and Alaska won’t ever forget the nightmare. If the Aces ever hope to find redemption, the opportunity is here and now. Alaska could start the long road to the top by taking Game 4 tonight and living for another day.

Alaska’s defense or lack of it has been the story of the Finals so far. In the Meralco semifinal series, the Aces limited the Bolts to 78.7 points in their three wins. But in the Finals, Alaska is giving up 107.3 points. The reason is simple. Against Meralco, Alaska’s pressure defense was effective as the Bolts’ strength – size – became their weakness. Meralco coach Norman Black was forced to go small to break the press and strayed from what the Bolts had to do to win. Against Rain Or Shine, Alaska’s pressure defense isn’t working because the Painters’ guards aren’t easily threatened with Paul Lee, Gabe Norwood, Jericho Cruz and Maverick Ahanmisi able to pull away from delicate situations.

If the Aces aren’t forcing turnovers, they don’t get too many chances to score in transition. And when the Painters execute their ball-screens, Alaska is in a bind. If the Aces trap off the pick, the roller has a clear path to the lane and if he doesn’t, the extra pass will locate an open shooter. If the Aces switch, it’s usually a mismatch and the man with the ball beats the defender off the dribble or finds an open teammate.

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Rain Or Shine coach Yeng Guiao’s equal opportunity system translates into a deep rotation. There are no sacred cows in the Painters’ cast and the only regular starter is import Pierre Henderson Niles who’s averaging 8.3 points in the Finals. Guiao gives everyone an opportunity to shine and nobody is backing off from the challenge. The remarkable thing is in Guiao’s system of unpredictable starters, he breeds unselfishness. You’d expect that players will try to outshine each other when they’re on the court to earn Guiao’s attention. But that isn’t the case. Instead of going their own way, the Painters feed off each other and the chemistry results in precise execution.

It’s no accident that Rain Or Shine is hitting 50.6 percent from beyond the arc in the Finals. Seven Painters are shooting better than 50 percent from three-point distance and that’s because they’re making themselves available for the shot and their teammates are finding them open. Jewel Ponferada, for instance, is hitting 66.7 percent from distance when in three previous seasons, he never took a single attempt from that range.

Gilas coach Tab Baldwin said it’s been a tactical war with both coaches making key adjustments and readjustments. Compton started Calvin Abueva in Games 1 and 2 then the Beast came off the bench in Game 3 to sustain pace with the second unit. Alaska went with a small lineup to get a step ahead of Rain Or Shine in Game 3 and Guiao countered with his energy combination to diffuse the pressure.

Although Rain Or Shine is on the verge of a sweep, the series is far from being one-sided. The Aces were in the thick of the battle in Games 1 and 2. In Game 3, they whittled a 27-point deficit to four in the end, creating momentum for Game 4. Compton is an inspiring motivator and if there’s anyone who can convince the Aces that it ain’t over ‘til it’s over, he’s the man. Alaska’s test of character begins in Game 4 tonight.