BECAUSE of Alaska coach Alex Compton, everybody was looking for a monster game from Mike Harris.
"Mike Harris, you haven't seen the best of him yet," said Compton of the former Houston Rocket and Utah Jazz after the latter's 23-point, 15-rebound debut against reigning back-to-back Best Import Allen Durham in an 80-72 win over Meralco last Friday.
It was Simon Enciso, however, who came up with the best game of his career, scoring 30 points in just three quarters as the Aces drubbed the TNT KaTropa 125-96 Sunday to assume the solo leadership in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Harris also sat out the last 16 minutes of the game but still wound up with 24 rebounds to go with 16 points, while Chris Banchero also sat out the fourth period but not after 15 points and a tournament-best 14 assists.
Before the trio rode the bench they have already done enough damage, enabling Alaska to complete the wire-to-wire domination and realize its second win in as many games.
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"We were on fire. Kitang-kita naman iyon kay Enciso... he was on fire," said Compton, referring to his starting guard's 10-for-13 shooting, including 9-for-12 from beyond the arc.
Compton also did not forget spreading the credit to his other players who proved to be vital cogs, at least against TNT.
"I was really happy with Simon but I was really impressed with Chris Banchero tonight. I think there were a number of possessions when Chris could have taken the shot, and they would have been good shots. But he chose to give it to his teammates who were (more) open. That's something I love. I'm proud of him for making those decisions," said Compton.
"Mike is such a smart import that when he sees someone shooting that way he just kept giving them the ball, give the ball to everybody else, give the ball to everybody else."
The loss was TNT's second straight, dropping it to 1-3.
Stacy Davis wound up with 26 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, Troy Rosario had his own double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds and Jayson Castro 13 points. Even Roger Pogoy notched 10 points and Terrence Romeo nine.
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All of the KaTropa's combined efforts could not match Alaska's on this particular night.
So total was the Aces' domination that all 15 players Compton fielded scored and it was their reserves, who stretched the difference to a high of 105-68, early in the fourth quarter.
To back up Compton's words, Alaska finished with a 51-for-101 clip from the floor as against TNT's 29-for-86. The Aces' better ball movement netted them a 33-15 advantage in assists and a plus-14 margin in points in the paint.
It was Enciso, Harris and Banchero set Alaska's runaway up, with chief help from Vic Manuel, who wound up with 18 points and eight boards in 20 minutes off the bench.
With Enciso starting the game 5-of-6 from deep and Harris already with 11 boards right in the opening quarter, Alaska quickly took control 35-13.
The pattern remained true in the second quarter, which the Aces also took 33-26, before Manuel and Jake Pascual led them to a 103-68 advantage at the end of the third.(NC)
The scores:
Alaska 125 - Enciso 30, Manuel 18, Harris 16, Banchero 15, Exciminiano 8, Galliguez 8, Baclao 7, Andrada 6, Pascual 4, Casio 3, Racal 2, Teng 2, Magat 2, Cruz 2, Potts 2.
TNT 96 - Davis 26, Rosario 16, Castro 13, Pogoy 10, Romeo 9, Cruz 6, Carey 6, Williams 5, Semerad 5, Golla 0, Paredes 0, Reyes 0, Tamsi 0.
Quarters: 35-13, 68-39, 103-68, 125-96.
