First to the Finals

Alaska booked the first ticket to the PBA Philippine Cup Finals by disposing of Globalport, 118-89, in Game 5 of their best-of-7 semifinal series to clinch the duel, 4-1, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Tuesday.

The Aces looked rusty in losing the opener, 107-83, after a 15-day layoff and the Batang Pier, riding on the coattails of Terrence Romeo who erupted for 41 points, led all the way to draw first blood. Globalport dictated the tempo from the start, running Alaska to the ground behind a 29-23 edge in transition points. Coach Pido Jarencio was in his element as the Batang Pier took command of the boards, 50-47 and pummeled the Aces from beyond the arc, 11 triple conversions to five.

Coach Alex Compton didn’t panic. Neither did the Aces because they take their cue from Compton. Instead, the Aces rolled up their sleeves and focused on the business of defense. In the next four games, Alaska got down to brass tacks and held Globalport to an average of 79.5 points – way below the 107 the Batang Pier scattered in Game 1. Alaska also made sure the Aces wouldn’t be outrebounded again – they had 13 more boards in Game 2, 7 more in Game 3, 9 more in Game 4 and 13 more in Game 5.

Moreover, Compton tweaked his starting lineup and tapped Chris (The X-Factor) Exciminiano for first five duty from Game 2, replacing Rome de la Rosa. Exciminiano’s main job was to stick to Romeo like glue from the opening tip. The result of Exciminiano’s efforts was reflected in Romeo’s output which went from 41 in Game 1 to 20 in Game 2, 17 in Game 3, 24 in Game 4 and 20 in Game 5. Romeo was blanked in the fourth period and bled for only three points in the second half of the clincher. On top of that, Exciminiano put pressure on Romeo to defend and finished with a career-high 19 points, including 9 in the fourth quarter.

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The beauty of Compton’s system is its resiliency. He adapts to situations and isn’t afraid of making unconventional adjustments. In the eliminations, Vic Manuel was Alaska’s leading scorer with a 16.4 average. In the semifinals, R. J. Jazul and Calvin Abueva shared scoring honors, both averaging 13.2 points. The Aces’ top four scorers in the semifinals never started a game and Compton deployed 13 men in every game of the series, stretching his rotation because the goal was to tire out Globalport. With Alaska, six players averaged at least 20 minutes, 11 at least 10 and none logged 30 or more. The equal opportunity approach meant a huge advantage for the Aces in bench points – by 31 in Game 1, 33 in Game 2, 41 in Game 3, 39 in Game 4 and 45 in Game 5. Clearly, Compton walks the talk. He doesn’t only preach “We Not Me,” he works it to perfection.

Alaska pounced on Globalport mercilessly when the Aces smelled blood after taking a 2-1 series lead. In Games 4 and 5, the Batang Pier never led for a second as Alaska beat Globalport at its own running game. In Game 4, the Aces had more fastbreak points, 31-15 and in Game 5, it was more of the same, 30-19. Alaska’s efficiency was at its height in Game 5 with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 25:9 and six players in double digit points.

With Romeo and Stanley Pringle bottled up, Globalport went to other options on offense. But Alaska plugged every hole that Jarencio dug up. Keith Jensen was a glaring victim of the Aces’ unforgiving collapse defense, shooting a combined 2-of-12 in the last two games. Joseph Yeo was 1-of-7 in Game 5. Jay Washington kept the Globalport fire burning for a while in the clincher but ran out of fuel down the stretch, scoring only two of his 26 in the payoff period.

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Another adjustment that Compton made was tapping veteran Dondon Hontiveros to start in Games 4 and 5. That brought Cyrus Baguio to come off the bench. So the only players whom Compton started in every game of the semifinals were Jvee Casio, Sonny Thoss and Eric Menk. Compton figured Hontiveros’ experience would be critical in setting the tone for the pivotal outings and sure enough, he exploded for a conference-high 16 points in Game 4.

Before the semifinals, Alaska ranked No. 2 in the league in most turnovers at 19.2 a game. That stat was a huge cause for Compton’s concern. He addressed the problem and the Aces brought down their turnover average to 15.8 in the semifinals. In Games 4 and 5, Alaska averaged only 11 turnovers. Compton was quick to find a solution to a potentially nightmarish problem.

Compton has now led Alaska to its third finals appearance in the last four conferences. He’s still chasing his first championship. Compton came close in the Philippine Cup last season with the Aces bowing to San Miguel Beer in the finals that went the distance. In the Governors Cup, Alaska was back in the finals but from the onset, San Miguel made sure the Aces wouldn’t be a threat. Alaska was scuttled in four straight.

Either San Miguel or Rain Or Shine will play Alaska in the finals. If it’s San Miguel, the Aces will face a team that is short in depth but long in talent. If it’s Rain Or Shine, Alaska will be dragged into a physical war down to the last man. Either way, the road to the throne won’t be a bed of roses for Alaska. In the semifinals, Compton showed remarkable maturity, composure and flexibility – three things that will come in handy against the Beermen or the Elasto Painters.