Game 5: Alaska goes for the kill

By WAYLON GALVEZ | http://www.mb.com.ph

Game Sunday (Araneta Coliseum)
6 p.m. – Alaska vs San Miguel

Alaska Milk, the underdog at the start of the best-of-seven championship, series can wrap up the PBA Fiesta Cup title with a victory over San Miguel this Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.





“Can we wrap it up? The opportunity is there obviously. We know how good San Miguel Beer is, but we’re a confident team. We’ve been to wars, we know how to play a good game and follow it up with another good performance,” Alaska coach Tim Cone said.

Cone has so far got the better of San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen in the battle of master strategists.

Last Friday, Alaska point guard LA Tenorio delivered an MVP performance of 21 points and 10 rebounds against a team that boasts of the league’s most formidable frontline.

“I don’t think it’s over,” Tanquincen said.

“I talked to the players about it. Everything in life is about perspective. It’s how you look at things. Are we going to look at this like ‘let’s give up right away?’ or we go out there and keep fighting. It is how you look at things.”

Tanquingcen said they will try to draw something positive from their big deficit.

“Our perspective right now is, yes we’re in 3-1 hole, but I look at it as a good opportunity to show our true character. We’re right here playing for something,” he said.

Tanquincen hopes to get big-time performance from back-to-back Best Import winner Gabe Freeman, as well as more support from his locals like Arwind Santos, Joseph Yeo, Alex Cabagnot, Dondon Hontiveros and Jay Washington, the Best Player of the Conference who had five points in Game 4 on 2-of-14 shooting from the field.

Also, the Beermen will have to try and find a solution to disrupt Tenorio’s playmaking, as well as limit the productions of import Diamon Simpson, Joe Devance, and Cyrus Baguio.

The Wilfred Uytengsu-owned team is aiming for its first title in three years after coming up short last season when it lost to Talk 'N Text in the Philippine Cup and was swept by Purefoods in the finals of the previous all-Filipino conference.

Cone expects San Miguel to go all-out in their 6 p.m. encounter.

“They’re such a good team, they adjust so well,” said Cone, noting the Beermen’s 96-80 win in Game 3.

The last time Alaska won a title was during the 2006-07 Fiesta Cup (with Ro Ellis as import) when they beat Talk 'N Text in seven games.

On the other hand, San Miguel won this tournament last year against Ginebra also in seven games.

Only two teams have recovered to win a best-of-seven affair – Purefoods versus Alaska in the 2006 Philippine Cup and Ginebra against Shell during the 1982 Reinforced Conference.
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