MANILA, Philippines – Four days removed from the greatest comeback ever waged in the pro league and the residue of cordite was still very much in the air.
And four days removed from the incredulous collapse ever suffered and the move on the three timeouts and platoon substitution had virtually taken a life of its own and remained constant in the social media.
Was it a psychological ploy, a tactical scheme or a gambit to unsettle and seize the initiative?
For sure, had the Alaska Aces won over the San Miguel Beermen, those opening moves shall have been part of the lore.
In another vein, it was part of the tale from the other side of history of this epic Philippine Cup highlighted by two varying sweeps, a three-to-nil and four-to-nil.
And coach Alex Compton’s refusal not to delve on those early game decisions further stoked speculations, from being a keen reader of Sun Tzu’s the Art Of War, a Chinese military treatise, to being simply a coach in desperate search for ways to breach SMB’s new found confidence, defense and momentum.
“Maybe this is something I will keep close to my vest, “ he told Spin.ph in the post-game interview.
One has only to get into the predicament the Aces found themselves – a sense of sweet sweep turning into mortal thoughts of losing and the decision on suing for three successive TOs would unravel itself.
Coaches and athletes, for that matter, would try anything to secure an edge and painstakingly, methodically translate it into a win.
Watching their sweep bid disappear in three heartbreaking defeats including Game 4 where it moved within a breath of the championship only to take a shocker of a loss in overtime, Compton made a bold move never seen in 41 years of the league.
It was all psychogical, tactical and a gambit to confuse the enemy. A way of deception as a tool of war, exploiting the Aces strength with rugged fast paced run-and-gun minus three timeouts that could have slowed them down.
A murderous opening surge could also run the Beermen to the ground and enable the Aces to dismantle SMB’s solid defense.
But a bold ploy if done for the first time could also backfire. The Aces started strong but struggled as the Beermen, starring the comebacking June Mar Fajardo, wrested control and spent themselves trying to narrow the gap in the end.
There was no puzzle in Compton’s ploy. Soaring with might in the first three games, wavering under the clutch of impending doom in sudden death, the Alaska mentor did it all to make it close and unforgettable.
When all the physical and emotional pains shall have been healed as time grinds on, history we ‘re sure will be kind to Alex Compton.