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| Calvin Abueva launches a triple over the outstretched arms of Jason Ballesteron. The Beast scored 26 points to lead Alaska in the comeback win. |
By Patrick Sutare
MANILA--All of a sudden, Alaska is on a three-game winning run.
Kissing the cellar and were seen as though their things were
packed for the exits, the Aces refused to fold, rediscovering their identity to
keep their playoff hopes alive in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
The erstwhile bottom settlers engineered a late juggernaut
to run past Kia, 104-92, on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, sending the
latter reeling to its ninth straight loss in a so far winless campaign in the
conference.
Calvin Abueva fueled the rejuvenated Aces, leading the
charge in the payoff period where the team battled back from 10 points down to
steal the crucial win.
Apart from topscoring the team with 26, the 6’2 high-octane
forward was also instrumental in stopping Kia’s Geron Johnson who fell into the
trap of his mind games as the Picanto faltered in the crucial stages of the
match.
Johnson exploded for 39 points, nine boards and seven
assists, but his late errors – caused by Abueva- and a couple of clutch baskets
from the Aces took the life out of the already-ran Kia squad.
LeDontae Henton buried a huge triple with over a minute left
to break the tie and create a separation, 97-94, before JVee Casio nailed a
tough jumper to seal the deal for Alaska.
Henton and Casio had identical numbers of 20 points and
seven assists while Ping Exciminiano manned the fore of the comeback as he forced
key stops and finished with 14 points, four rebounds and three minutes off the
bench.
Follow him on Twitter: @patricksutare
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