There’s no need to press the panic button. As Tim Cone often says, he’d rather take the beating now than later. But certainly, the Alaska coach is not amused by the recent turn of events.
The Alaska Aces are on a free fall and Cone, it seems, has no idea when it would stop.
There’s no announcement from the Alaska camp about the Aces’ exact state of health. But the signs strongly indicate they are suffering from amnesia.
After racing to a 3-0 start to open their campaign in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup, the reigning Fiesta Cup champs suddenly forgot how to win.
In a span of two weeks dating back to October 22, the Aces have lost four games in a row, the last one very frustrating for Cone because they blew a 17-point lead late in the third quarter in an embarrassing 71-83 loss to lightweight Meralco on Saturday in Bacolod City.
The losses dropped the Aces in the company of Air 21 and Powerade in the middle of the standings with 3-4 win-loss records.
San Miguel and Talk ’N Text are tied for first place with 6-2 marks, followed by Barangay Ginebra (5-2) and Rain or Shine (4-4). Barako Bull and B-Meg Derby Ace bring up the rear with 2-5 cards.
When asked about his thoughts before the match against Powerade on Wednesday, the Alaska coach replied in six short words.
“Simply, we’re just looking for win,” he said in a text message.
During the past four games the Aces have led through three quarters but would experience offensive meltdown in the fourth. So consistency will be the key for Alaska in their 7:30 p.m. encounter with Powerade at the Araneta Coliseum.
Powerade is coming off a 95-102 loss against Air21 a week ago but is expected to bounce back after a six-day break allowed the Tigers to recharge and rethink their game plan.
Powerade coach Bo Perasol said he is trying to develop his troops to become a better defensive team.
“We are mostly offensive-oriented individuals. But we do understand the significance of playing tough defense to win games,” Perasol said.
Meanwhile, B-Meg Derby Ace coach George Gallent is keeping his fingers crossed that the Llamados will be able to sustain the momentum of their 104-97 win over powerhouse TNT on Friday.
Derby Ace battles Air 21 in a rematch scheduled at 5 p.m.
The Express have lost two of their last three games, the last one an 81-107 crushing at the hands of the Barangay Ginebra Kings last week. But they are coming into the game a bit confident having beaten the Llamados, 77-69, in their first meeting on October 16.
“This is a big game for us. A win will bring us closer to the pack,” Gallent said. “If we could play 48 minutes of aggressive basketball and minimize our turnovers, we’ll have a good chance of winning.”
David Corros, Business Mirror
