By Jay R. Gotera
MANILA — The Alaska Aces came from behind to defeat the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 94-89, clinching the much-coveted No. 2 seed and the twice-to-beat advantage that goes with it in the PBA Philippine Cup Wednesday night.
Down by seven points, 79-86, late in the final period, the Aces ignited a 15-3 run to nail their seventh win in 11 games. Star actually had the same win-loss record as Alaska, but the Aces took the second spot by virtue of their victory over the Hotshots in the elimination round.
Alaska thus arranged a quarterfinals duel with the seventh-seed Barangay Ginebra (6-5), with the Kings needing to beat the Aces twice to advance.
Rain or Shine suffered its fourth straight loss and sixth overall in 11 games, sending the Painters into a knockout match with the Blackwater Elite for the eighth and final quarterfinals spot. The winner of that match will go up against the powerhouse and top-seeded San Miguel Beermen, with the latter enjoying a twice-to-beat advantage.
The other quarterfinal pairings, both best-of-3 affairs, will see Star (third seed) taking on Phoenix (sixth seed) and TNT (fourth seed) going up against GlobalPort (fifth seed).
Jvee Casio led Alaska with 25 points on 8-for-12 shooting, including 5-for-6 from beyond the arc.
Vic Manuel had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Sonny Thoss also scored 13 markers while RJ Jazul added 12 points.
The Aces won despite their star player Calvin Abueva hampered by foul trouble throughout the game. Abueva finished with just four points and four rebounds before fouling out.
James Yap and Gabe Norwood led Rain or Shine with 16 points apiece.
Star 124, Mahindra 87
The Star Hotshots finished another demolition job, vanquishing the also-rans Mahindra Floodbuster by a whopping 37 points, 124-87. In their last game Saturday, the Hotshots walloped the Meralco Bolts by 47 points.
Star thus finished its elims schedule with a fourth straight win and
seventh overall in 11 games, ending up as the third seed. The Hotshots will thus figure in a best-of-three quarterfinals series with the sixth seed Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters (6-5).
The Hotshots shot a sizzling 53 percent from the field, converting 47 of 88 shots, while limiting the Floodbuster to just 37-percent shooting (31 of 83 shots).
Allein Maliksi sustained his fiery form, blasting away with a career-high 33 points, including seven three-pointers, as Star dealt Mahindra its eighth loss in 11 games. The Floodbuster thus wound up at the No. 10 spot in the standings, with Meralco (3-8) at 11th and NLEX (2-9) at the bottom.
Paul Lee added 16 points, five assists, three boards, and one steal, while Justin Melton, Jio Jalalon, and Aldrech Ramos chipped in 11 markers apiece.
Ian Sangalang was the sixth Hotshot in double digits with 10 points on top of eight rebounds and three assists.
Star’s veteran forward Marc Pingris scored just two points but proved his worth on defense as he grabbed 10 boards and blocked two shots.
Alex Mallari and Nico Salva led Mahindra with 15 points apiece. Mallari also tallied five assists and four rebounds, while Salva had five boards.
Game Friday: Rain or Shine Elasto Painters vs. Blackwater Elite (playoff for eighth and last playoff spot).
