Jefferson, Abueva sizzle
MANILA, Philippines - Cory Jefferson exploded for 26 of his 30 points in the first half while Calvin Abueva delivered the bulk of his 17 points in the final half as Alaska Milk kept its unbeaten run in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup with a 98-92 toppling of Mahindra last night at the MOA Arena in Pasay.
Sonny Thoss and Carl Bryan Cruz contributed key baskets in their crucial 10-to-nothing roll in the last four minutes of the contest as the Aces claimed their third straight win following earlier triumphs over the Blackwater Elite and the GlobalPort Batang Pier.
The Aces led from start to finish, enjoying the biggest lead of 18 points in sending the Floodbuster to their third loss against one win.
The Floodbuster actually drew within five twice in the fourth quarter but lost momentum on as an exhausted James White rested on the bench.
White asked to be taken out following successive up-and-down plays, the last he finished on a put-back jam after a missed jumper by Reden Celda making it 82-87 with time down to 4:15.
The Aces exploited White’s absence and the Floodbuster went scoreless in the next three minutes of the contest even on the return of their import.
“It helps you when your import is on fire,” said Alaska coach Alex Compton on the 30-point game of their own import.
The Aces built early double-digit spreads and sat on a 50-40 cushion at halftime on Jefferson’s hot start marked by 4-of-4 three-point shooting.
The Aces connected on 7-of-15 three-point shooting in all in the first 24 minutes of play as against Mahindra’s woeful 0-of-11 clip.
In the nightcap, playmaker Baser Amer sizzled with 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in a near triple-double game and Meralco as usual fought with a tough defense as the Bolts topped the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 89-83, for a fourth straight win.
“We played a good team defense and a good team offense,” said Amer shortly after the well-fought match where he stood out with a game he highlighted with three gutsy drives against towering Rain or Shine import Shawn Taggart.
The Bolts once again did work on an efficient defense together as they held the E-Painters to a measly 30-percent shooting.
And for the fourth straight game, the Bolts limited their opponents below 90 points. As Jefferson concentrated on defending and getting the rebounds in the second half, Abueva and Thoss took over, with the two themselves delivering the lethal baskets at the finish.
Thoss starred in their key run at endgame, scoring two baskets on low-post attacks plus two free throws.
“Sonny Thoss was awesome. He played like an import,” said Compton.
The Alaska coach, however, rued nearly losing their 18-point spread in the third quarter. “I didn’t like the way we ended the game,” he said.
White, LA Revilla, Mark Yee and Gary David spearheaded Mahindra’s fightback. White finished with 30 points and 14 rebounds while the three Mahindra locals put in at least 10 points each.