Dozier back to fuel Aces

Games today (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

3 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs Barako Bull

5:15 p.m. – Ginebra vs San Miguel Beer

MANILA, Philippines - Rob Dozier stepped up in the fourth quarter, standing at the forefront of Alaska Milk’s strong finish as the defending champs Aces whipped the Globalport Batang Pier, 93-77, in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome last night.

Dozier took over the game at the start of the payoff period, single-handedly tearing a close game apart as Alaska sprang back from a 72-85 loss to Talk n Text on opening day Wednesday.

“Last game, we’re all over the place defensively. Today, when the going got tough, Rob got going,” said Alaska coach Luigi Trillo.

“I’m proud of him. Every time he went down, he got up. In the fourth quarter, Rob got going and everybody got going with him,” Trillo added.

The Aces were down by two, 65-67, at the end of the third quarter when Dozier, the Best Import awardee in this tourney last year, started to pick up his game.

The former Memphis U stalwart scored all of the first nine points in the fourth quarter and added six more in a swashbuckling run that opened an 87-71 lead for the Aces.

And there’s no stopping Alaska from notching its first win in the tourney and dealing Globalport a second loss in as many outings under new coach Pido Jarencio.

Dozier finished with 25 points, 15 rebounds and four assists while RJ Jazul and Gabby Espinas contributed 18 points apiece and Jayvee Casio chipped in 11.

Back-up guard Jazul nailed back-to-back treys as Alaska took a 23-15 lead in the opening canto.

Evan Brock and his Globalport teammates waged a chase in the second quarter, though, and made a crucial attack in the third frame to surge ahead at 65-59.

Alas, the Batang Pier cooled down at the start of the fourth and failed to heat up.

Globalport scored a single charity (through Brock) in the first six minutes and 36 seconds of the final period, and converted its first field goal basket (a trey by Terrence Romeo) already nine minutes into the quarter.

The Aces pounded the Batang Pier’s fourth quarter fold-up, 28-10.

Richard Howell followed up a 30-rebound and 15-point PBA debut with a 29-point performance as Talk n Text made it two in a row with a 95-91 win over the hard-fighting Air21 side in the nightcap.

“It feels good to get our second win. It’s very important because this conference is a sprint,” said Talk n Text coach Norman Black.

“Howell played pretty well in the second half. He’s shown he’s very strong inside and he’s a good defender,” Black also said.

Meanwhile, the keenly awaited Junmar Fajardo-Greg Slaughter and Junmar Fajardo-Japeth Aguilar match-ups could finally happen as Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel Beer clash at 5:15 p.m. tonight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

San Miguel Beer consultant Todd Purves says Fajardo’s status is day-to-day, but the injury-stricken Cebuano behemoth is confident he’ll be ready by today.

“Gagaling na ‘to,” said Fajardo, hinting at finally meeting Slaughter and Aguilar in a much-anticipated duel of the giants.

Fajardo was out with an injury during the Petron Blaze-Ginebra faceoff in the Philippine Cup.