Aces turn back Road Warriors

Games today (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

3 p.m. – Barako Bull vs Kia

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

MANILA, Philippines - Three Alaska Milk players hounded Al Thornton in the last four seconds, denying the NLEX import an attempt at the basket as the Aces nipped the Road Warriors, 96-95, in a Petron Blaze Saturday Special in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at The Arena in San Juan last night.

Chris Exciminiano, Calvin Abueva and Dondon Hontiveros helped each other out for the crucial defensive stoppage, allowing the Aces to bounce back from an 88-108 rout by the Purefoods Star Hotshots Wednesday.

Thornton actually got past Exciminiano but failed to shake off Abueva and Hontiveros, and crashed to the floor as he lost his footing with the ball still in his hands as time expired.

To no avail, NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez protested the non-call by the referees, believing a foul should have been called on Abueva.

The Road Warriors reeled with a second straight loss following a 91-96 defeat at the hands of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters Tuesday.

Despite the continued absence of key players Sonny Thoss and Jvee Casio, the Aces held their ground against the Road Warriors, making it three in a row in their head-to-head duels from the Philippine Cup.

DJ Covington showed improvement from his initial game with the Aces, scoring 24 points on 6-of-14 field shooting and 12-of-14 charities. He also snared seven rebounds.

Vic Manuel scattered 16 points before limping off the floor with a left knee injury with three minutes left to play while Cyrus Baguio and RJ Jazul added 14 and 12, respectively, as the Aces bucked Thornton’s 39-point explosion.

KG Canaleta and Rudy Lingganay sizzled from the long court, providing Thornton a big help as NLEX charged back from a 13-point deficit in the third period and dragged Alaska to a down-to-the-wire battle.

From a 56-69 count, Thornton, Canaleta and Lingganay combined for six three-pointers in an assault that had the Road Warriors threatening at 92-93 after the last of those bombs from beyond the arc.

Then the Road Warriors got a chance to steal the game as they took possession following a missed throw-down by Covington and a muffed three-pointer by Dondon Hontiveros.

Thornton called a timeout at mid-court with 4.0 seconds to go.

At the resumption of play, the Road Warriors got the inbound to their highly touted import, but the Aces put up a defensive gem to complete their first win after a runner-up finish to San Miguel Beer in the recent all-Filipino tourney.

Meanwhile, Barako Bull seeks to sustain its hot start, going for a third straight win against Kia Motors even as Philippine Cup titlist San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra clash in a highly anticipated match-up at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today.