Kevin Alas out of semifinals vs Hotshots; Road Warriors hobbles with one ace less

MANILA, Philippines — Kevin Alas is out of the series and the Magnolia Hotshots have one less key NLEX player to worry about as they try to close out their Final Four faceoff with the Road Warriors in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight.

Alas was diagnosed with an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tear – the same injury that sidelined Magnolia forward Marc Pingris a few days back. The six-foot guard will undergo surgery either Thursday or Friday and will be out for at least eight months.

The former Letran ace suffered injury just 40 seconds into Game Five, and his ouster evidently took its toll on NLEX’s game later in the match, enabling Magnolia to pull off an 87-78 win for the 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Alas averaged 11.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in the elims, and 9.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the semis before the injury.

A win by the Hotshots in Game Six set at 7 p.m. will arrange a first title playoff between San Miguel and Magnolia in 18 years. A deciding Game Seven, if necessary, is Thursday also at the Big Dome.

The Road Warriors have not lost hope, promising to play for Alas as they continue their quest for a first finals appearance.

“We will definitely miss Kevin. He is, after all, a key player in our rotation. But while this will disrupt our plans, it will not stop nor discourage us from our purpose of making our first finals appearance,” said NLEX coach Yeng Guiao.

“A time like this is an opportunity for others to step up. Knowing my players, they can and they will. So even if others may think this situation will diminish our resolve, the truth is it will only strengthen it,” Guiao also said.

 Magnolia coach Chito Victolero and his troops are also not looking beyond the Final Four yet.

“We need four wins to go to the finals. We have to maintain (what we did in Game Five), be consistent on our effort, be consistent on our focus and our mental toughness. We have an advantage now but the series is not over,” said Victolero.

“NLEX will not just give up. They will fight even harder, and we have to be ready,” said Paul Lee.