Aces take Game One

Game today (MOA Arena)

7 p.m. – San Miguel vs Talk n Text

MANILA, Philippines - Alaska Milk, a team taking pride in being a defensive bunch, came up with a good defensive effort, stopping Rain or Shine cold in the crunch as the Aces hacked out a come-from-behind 87-80 win in the opener of their PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinal showdown at the Mall of Asia Arena last night.

The Aces put the brakes on the Elasto Painters on several instances, the most crucial with their great hustles in the last five minutes as they held Rain or Shine to a single field-goal basket.

On the offensive end over the same stretch, Calvin Abueva, Jvee Casio, Cyrus Baguio and Chris Exciminiano came through, giving Alaska a fiery 14-3 windup and subsequently the crucial head start in the race-to-four games series.

Looking for a first finals appearance in five conferences, the Aces go for a 2-0 series lead tomorrow in the same Pasay City playing venue.

Meanwhile, playoffs top seed San Miguel Beer and Talk n Text, a team on a hot rampage from the closing stage of the elims, start their own semis battle at 7 p.m. tonight.

“I thought early on Rain or Shine exerted their will, and we got a little frustrated. But in the second half, we put the frustration aside and played the game,” said Alaska coach Alex Compton.

“The win means we can beat them,” added Compton, who suffered the biggest losses in his young coaching career at the hands of Rain or Shine.

For a while, Rain or Shine, which beat Alaska by 51 points in the elims in the last Governors Cup, appeared headed for another big demolition of the Aces by opening a 17-point spread early in the second quarter.

But the Aces showed a great character.