ANTIPOLO -- Alaska Milk made a huge turnaround from a two-game losing skein and lived to play another game with a 125-104 blasting of titleholder San Miguel Beer in Game Three of their PBA Commissioner's Cup best-of-five semi-final showdown at the Ynares Sports Center here Friday night.
The Aces wanted to fight another battle and they worked hard for it, outworking the Beermen practically every inch of the way in fashioning out the 21-point rout to chop down SMB's series lead to 2-1.
San Miguel takes a second shot at closing out the series while Alaska goes for an equalizer in Game Four Sunday.
Practically the entire Alaska team pulled a big game together as the Aces stopped the Beermen from marching to a seventh finals in 11 conferences.
The Aces seized control early, taking the half at 64-55, then putting the game away early on a 13-0 salvo to make it a 20-point spread at 97-77 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Sponsored content:
And the amazing Aces sustained their pounding and pummeling of the shell-shocked Beermen to the finish for the stunner of a win that should send SMB coach Leo Austria and his staff back on the drawing board.
"Ayaw kasi namin masayang ang pinaghirapan namin. Tapos nasamahan din swerte," said Vic Manuel on their dogged determination to stay alive.
"Big key yung execution namin on offense, kasi lagi naman nandon yung defense namin," added Manuel, again on the mark, making 24 points after his streak of 11 20-point outings was snapped by San Miguel.
Manuel scattered 12 points right in the first half and added 12 more in the final half on a 12-of-23 shooting that he also laced with six rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Diamon Simpson was also back collecting a double-double game with 21 markers and 13 boards while Jvee Casio and Simon Enciso finally picked up the slack on the absence of Chris Banchero, combining for 25 points, 13 assists and five rebounds in their solid jobs at the backcourt.
Sponsored content:
The San Miguel starting cast delivered their usual numbers but the Alaska bench walloped its SMB counterparts, 71-32.(SB)
The scores:
Alaska 125 - Manuel 24, Simpson 21, Casio 15, Enciso 10, Exciminiano 9, Baclao 9, Racal 8, J. Pascual 7, Galliguez 7, Teng 6, Cruz 5, Thoss 4,
San Miguel 104 - Balkman 28, Fajardo 18, Standhardinger 10, Ross 9, Lassiter 9, Cabagnot 8, Heruela 8, Lanete 6, Nabong 5, Santos 3.
Quarters: 27-25, 64-55, 94-77, 125-104.
