Alaska coach Alex Compton heaved a sigh of relief that the Aces’ 107-93 loss to GlobalPort in Game 1 of their PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinal duel at the MOA Arena last Monday wasn’t a one-game knockout eliminator.
Alaska is the No. 1 seed while Globalport the No. 5. Because of the Aces’ finish in the single round-robin eliminations, they qualified outright for the semifinals and were excused from playing in the quarterfinals. That meant a 15-day layoff entering Monday’s battle. GlobalPort, on the other hand, was fresh from a 9-day rest after disposing of Barako Bull and Barangay Ginebra in the quarterfinals.
Were the Aces rusty or ready? Compton conceded that Alaska played flat against the Batang Pier and complimented GlobalPort for winning it “fair and square.” The Aces had no antidote for Terrence Romeo who erupted for a career-high 41 points. During the game, Compton repeatedly reminded the Aces that Romeo happens to be the league’s leading scorer so he deserves extra defensive attention. It was his way of saying “hello” to his players.
Alaska played like the Aces were still on holiday mode. They couldn’t execute like they did in compiling a 9-2 record in the eliminations. Their defense was below par, allowing GlobalPort to hit 48 percent from the floor when in the eliminations, Alaska was No. 2 in that department with opponents shooting only 39.9 percent. Worse, the Aces were atrocious from the line, missing 15 in 33 attempts. GlobalPort outscored Alaska, 16-10, in turnover points and 29-23 in fastbreak points. Before the playoffs, the Aces were No. 1 in turnover points (17.5).
Compton paid tribute to GlobalPort coach Pido Jarencio whom he said doesn’t get enough credit for what he’s done in transforming the Batang Pier into a serious title contender. Jarencio is on his second turn as GlobalPort head coach. He took over from Richie Ticzon in the 2014 Commissioner’s Cup then with two games left in the 2015 Philippine Cup, was replaced by Eric Gonzales on an interim basis. Jarencio was reinstated starting the Governors Cup last season. GlobalPort team owner Mikee Romero brought Jarencio back into the picture.
Jarencio is a master in maximizing resources. It’s no secret that GlobalPort relies heavily on Romeo and Stanley Pringle whom opposing coaches like to call the team’s two-headed monster. They’re the only GlobalPort players averaging at least 30 minutes a game and before Monday’s contest, they were scoring a combined 45 points an outing – 45 percent of the team’s output. With the two stars in place, Jarencio has convinced their teammates to be role players in a strong supporting cast. That’s why Romeo and Pringle get multiple screens – there’s a conscious effort to get them open for their shots and their teammates are making it happen. In a sense, that’s team play at work. It’s Jarencio’s version of Compton’s “We Not Me” philosophy. While Romeo and Pringle get the lion’s share of GlobalPort’s points, they’re doing it because they’re being set up. They wouldn’t be stars without their teammates helping them out.
Take GlobalPort’s Billy Mamaril, Rico Maierhofer and Doug Kramer. They don’t aspire to be superstars. They’re just happy to be contributing in whatever way Jarencio wants them to. Before Monday’s game, Maierhofer and Kramer were averaging more rebounds than points – a clear indication that they don’t mind doing the dirty work and playing out of the spotlight. Maierhofer averaged 7.1 rebounds and 5.2 points while Kramer, 9.2 rebounds and 8.8 points. There are about 10 cagers who’re averaging more boards than points in the league, including Harvey Carey, Ryan Arana, Jay-R Reyes, Rob Reyes, Bradwyn Guinto and Jason Ballesteros – all of them are role players.
Mamaril is another example of a selfless player who’ll sacrifice for the good of the team. Because he’s a tireless worker off the boards and a hard-nosed defender, Mamaril got the call to start the last two games, replacing Maierhofer who now comes off the bench. Against Alaska last Monday, Mamaril delivered 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 27:34. Maierhofer collected four points and nine boards while Kramer had six points and 10 rebounds.
As for Romeo, he was phenomenal in his first-ever semifinal contest. There was some confusion on his previous scoring career high because in the official PBA stats sheet, it was listed as 34 points. The stats sheet did not reflect the 40 points that Romeo hit against Rain Or Shine in the Governors Cup in Dubai last May. PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon said the stats program did not accept the career highs posted in the last Governors Cup in a strange computer glitch. Luckily, Fidel remembered Romeo’s 40-point explosion and reminded the TV panel that his career high had been reset from 34.
Romeo was almost unstoppable in firing 41. He capped the binge with an improbable three-point bank shot in the last two minutes. Romeo shot 57.1 percent from the field and 91.6 percent from the line (11 of 12 free throws). He also compiled four assists and two rebounds. A soft spot was his eight turnovers, something he has to work on. Two of the turnovers were on “palming” violations so they were unforced.
In Game 2 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight, Alaska will need to put the clamps on Romeo and it could force Compton’s hand to assign Calvin Abueva or Tony de la Cruz or Rome de la Rosa to stop him. Romeo had no difficulty operating against Jvee Casio, Cyrus Baguio, Chris Banchero and Ping Exciminiano last Monday. Compton has to think of a way to make Romeo a passer or at least make it hard for him to receive a clear pass or get a good look.