Dondon back in groove

For a while, it looked like Dondon Hontiveros wouldn’t be able to shake off the nagging injury issue that short-circuited his playing time with Petron in the PBA last season as he averaged only 2.9 points in just nine outings.

Hontiveros, 35, suffered an ACL tear in the first game of the 2011-12 campaign, limping off the court after a scoreless stint against B-Meg. He sat out 22 games in the Philippine Cup where Petron lost to Talk ‘N’ Text in a seven-game finals. Hontiveros persevered in undergoing therapy to strengthen his knee and sat out the entire Commissioner’s Cup. Then, in a courageous comeback, he was reactivated in the Blaze Boosters’ seventh game of the Governors Cup, coincidentally against B-Meg last June 17. Struggling after a long layoff, Hontiveros saw action in eight games, going scoreless in four, as Petron bowed out of contention with four straight setbacks to end the season.

With the clock ticking in Hontiveros’ race against Father Time, it was inevitable that Petron traded him away to give more exposure to young guns like Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter. A portent of things to come was evident when Petron had traded Hontiveros to Air 21 in the 2010-11 season only for the Cebuano hotshot to return to the Blaze Boosters fold the next campaign. 

Before this season opened, Hontiveros was a key figure in a seven-player, five-team trade that brought him to Alaska. Aces coach Luigi Trillo looked to rebuild the franchise with a mix of young stars and veterans, finding a spot for Hontiveros in his rotation. In the recent Philippine Cup, Hontiveros played in every game, averaging 6.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 22.6 minutes. He started in eight of 22 contests, hitting in double figures in only five. Hontiveros was Cyrus Baguio’s chief backup at the two-guard spot. He shot .291 from three-point distance, a far cry from his career clip of .341.

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Last Friday, Hontiveros made his first start of the Commissioner’s Cup and scored 11 points in 36 minutes with Baguio sitting out to rest a painful back. It was Hontiveros’ fourth straight game in twin digit points and fifth overall in the conference, matching his frequency in the last Philippine Cup with the playoffs still to start. Hontiveros is averaging 7.5 points and 23.6 minutes so far. What’s glaring in the improvement of his game is he’s back as a three-point threat, knocking down treys at a lofty .404 clip – the highest he’s registered since hitting .406 with Tanduay in 2001. 

No doubt about it, Hontiveros is back in the groove, finding a new comfort zone in Trillo’s system that is anchored on the triangle offense. Hontiveros is perfect for the triangle whose success in execution is dependent on movement, spacing and freeing up shooters from medium range. Trillo couldn’t be happier with Hontiveros’ return to form. But Hontiveros’ efficiency isn’t just on offense. He’s a hard-nosed defender, too, and with Alaska zooming to the top of the PBA’s points-allowed standings, Trillo has another solid stopper to lean on.

Hontiveros’ break-out game with Alaska came in the Aces’ 89-84 win over Rain Or Shine last April 5. He buried 7-of-10 triples and wound up with 22 points, seven rebounds and only one turnover in 34 minutes off the bench. He was one of five Alaska players to log at least 30 minutes, joining Rob Dozier (46), Baguio (39), Jvee Casio (39) and Calvin Abueva (33) in the high-exposure list.

Last Wednesday, Hontiveros delivered 10 points and four rebounds with no turnover in Alaska’s 102-93 decision over Barangay Ginebra. He tallied five crucial points down the stretch in attacking L. A. Tenorio’s defense to seal the victory. That win cemented Alaska’s No. 1 seeding in the playoffs with a game to play.

Alaska could’ve lost its game against Globalport last Friday and still kept its No. 1 seeding but the Aces wouldn’t give an inch in hacking out a come-from-behind 93-92 squeaker to finish the eliminations with an unreachable 11-3 record. The Aces did it with Sonny Thoss and Baguio sitting out the action as five players scored in double figures – Dozier (18), Abueva (17), R. J. Jazul (14), Casio (11) and Hontiveros (11). 

Abueva’s boundless energy fueled the Aces surge from 15 points down late in the third period. The San Sebastian rookie chalked up his 15th double-double of the conference with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Casio also posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 assists. Once more, Alaska’s defense saved the day with Globalport held to .365 field goal shooting. A cause for concern was the Aces giving up 25 offensive rebounds.  Alaska compensated by issuing more assists, 26-18, and staying aggressive in scoring more free throws, 29-of-40 to the Batang Pier’s 20-of-29.

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Dozier, 27, is a big reason for Alaska’s reemergence as a title threat. Against Ginebra last Wednesday, he outdueled Vernon Macklin in a battle of top-quality imports. Dozier finished with 28 points and 20 rebounds. He outscored Macklin, 11-5, in the fourth period to settle the outcome. Dozier hardly gets ruffled and plays with a cool demeanor. He’s smart, too. He has a high basketball IQ that gives him a big edge in matching up with other imports. In confronting Macklin, he avoided posting up because the Ginebra import has a wider body and attacked from the outside where he used his quickness to slip away from the defense. The switch in tactics worked like a charm as Dozier reserved his best for last in towing Alaska to a big triumph. 

Dozier was the Miami Heat’s second round pick in the 2009 NBA draft. He never got to play in the NBA but picked up priceless international experience as an import in top-notch leagues in Greece, France and Spain. Dozier was on the University of Memphis varsity that went to the NCAA Finals in 2008 with Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans under coach John Calipari. That year, the Tigers recorded a 38-2 record as Dozier averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 26 minutes. 

It remains to be seen if Alaska can ride the momentum of a four-game winning streak and sustain the run in the playoffs. The Aces take a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals and if they advance, will face the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 best-of-three series in the semifinals.