In the post-game interview, Alaska Milk coach Alex Compton talked at length leading to one and the same description on what Mike Harris and Chris Banchero dished out in the game.
The two players were "special today."
True enough, Harris and Banchero were superb in leading the Aces to a 115-109 win over the Blackwater Elite that handed Alaska Milk a piece of the lead heading into the homestretch of the PBA Governors Cup elimination round.
Harris exploded for 38 points on a 14-of-26 field clip while Banchero erupted for 28 on 12-of-16 shooting as the Aces caught up with the Magnolia Hotshots and the Barangay Ginebra Kings, and zeroed in on a twice-to-beat bonus in the quarterfinals with a 7-2 win-loss slate.
And they could improve even more, facing the struggling NLEX Road Warriors and also-ran NorthPort Batang Pier in their last two games.
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The Elite, meanwhile, dropped down to joint fourth with the Phoenix Fuel Masters at 6-3.
"I'm happy to come away with that," said Compton of the winning effort anchored on the prolific showings of Harris and Banchero spiked by their combined 8-of-19 three-point shooting.
Harris also snared 19 rebounds, issued five assists, took three steals and had a block while Banchero also came through with four boards and three dish-offs.
Henry Walker delivered a triple-double with 29 points, 11 rebounds and the same number of assists but committed costly turnovers that hastened their downfall in the end.
Walker had six turnovers in all.
"I was nervous before the game as I thought we don't have a good matchup for Henry Walker," said Compton.
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Good team defense forced Walkers to crucial lapses at the finish, including one that Harris parlayed into a key basket that made it 116-109 inside the final minute.
The Aces carried a 12-point lead into the halftime break but Walker, Mike Digregorio, JP Erram and John Pinto brought the Elite back into the game in the third.
It was a close game before Walker ran into a maze of errors.(SB)
The scores:
Alaska 116 - Harris 38, Banchero 28, Casio 14, Manuel 12, Racal 7, Teng 6, Baclao 4, Thoss 4, Enciso 3, Exciminiano 0.
Blackwater 109 - Walker 29, Digregorio 20, Erram 18, Pinto 13, Maliksi 10, Zamar 10, Al-Hussaini 5, Belo 4, Sena 0, Sumang 0, Jose 0.
Quarters: 26-29, 57-45, 87-82, 116-109
