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| Stopping the Spark is like trying to go against a force of nature |
The skid
by rick olivares pics by nuki sabio
November 18, 2012
Smart Araneta Coliseum
This one is going to hurt.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel kept
plugging away then took advantage of a spate of costly errors by the Alaska
Aces to pull out a 96-93 win that saw the Kings win their third straight while
their victims dropped their fourth consecutive match.
Two errors, one unforced, by the
normally steady Jayvee Casio and a huge extra possession helped Ginebra
overcome the tough Aces who controlled the match for large stretches. Alaska
looked in control and ready to get back on the winning track after RJ Jazul
drilled a triple with two Kings all over him to make it 80-72 with 10:17 left
to play.
The basic game plan was to stop two
players who controlled Ginebra’s fate on a nightly basis – LA Tenorio and Mark
Caguioa. The Aces were supposed to trap Tenorio but their guards kept their
former teammate busy by torching him for 28 points through the combined
contributions of Casio, Jazul, and Raphy Reyes. Caguioa is a volume shooter but
they Aces were supposed to make him work hard on offense and Cyrus Baguio did a
good job of keeping the offensive dynamo from unloading his usual barrage from
the outside.
However, they were not able to account
for Billy Mamaril whose physicality caused Alaska’s Sonny Thoss and Sam Eman to
get into foul trouble. Without rookie Calvin Abueva who was in the hospital
with an infection, Alaska was killed on the boards 47-34 with a 17-11 advantage
on the offensive glass.
Caguioa held to 1-6 shooting in the
first half, was 6-11 from the field and 6-12 from the free throw line in the
second half as Ginebra worked to get their primary offensive weapon untracked.
His floater in the lane off a bounce pass by Willy Wilson with 34 seconds left
gave his team a 95-93 lead they would not relinquish. Prior to that, Casio saw
the ball bounce off his foot while driving towards the basket. After Caguioa’s
shot, Casio tried to work a pick and roll with Jazul but the Kings bull rushed
him and Tenorio picked him off.
The Kings were unable to score but
rookie Chris Ellis, 12 points and 5 rebounds, snared a damaging extra
possession when he threw the ball off Baguio along the sideline. Caguioa tacked
on one more free throw to close out the scoring.
Alaska was hurt also by three former
Aces in Tenorio, Wilson, and Elmer Espiritu. Tenorio was the Aces chief
playmaker for four and a half seasons where he led them to a championship and
two second place finishes. He was traded in the offseason. In his four full
seasons with Alaska, Tenorio averaged over 12 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, and
4.8 assists, and 1 steal a game. When things soured for Alaska following their
13th title and the departure of Tim Cone, Tenorio’s game went into
decline. He re-discovered his form recently with Smart Gilas in the last
William Jones Cup where he was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
While Alaska’s guard torched him in
the early goings, he got back in the second half with a triple that had the
Smart Araneta Coliseum rocking and to bring Ginebra just three points behind,
80-77 with time down to 9:21 (off an assist by Chris Ellis).
He assisted on a three-point play by
Caguioa off a foul by Dondon Hontiveros to make it 80-79, Alaska (the Spark
flubbed the free throw attempt) and got the huge steal off Casio in the final
minute of play.
Wilson, who was drafted by Alaska in
2004 played for the Aces for three seasons. He talented utility player tallied
6 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists with all his contributions coming in the
fourth period.
Espiritu was Alaska’s first round
draft pick in 2010 but hardly saw playing time after the Aces won their 13th
title. Espiritu’s confidence plummeted as he was repeatedly benched. He was
subsequently traded to Barako Bull and Shopinas the following year. With
Ginebra where his style of play fits, he was stoked to play the club that
drafted him but never used him. The former UE Red Warriors scored 9 points and
pulled down 3 boards.
Alaska countered Ginebra’s onslaught
with the clutch play of Cyrus Baguio who also showed Caguioa that he too can
score with style and hit clutch baskets. Jazul and Baracael were also solid for
Alaska as they punctured the hoops with terrific outside shooting. But after
Eman and Thoss fouled out so did Alaska’s capability to deal with the athletic
frontline of Ginebra.
The good vibes generated by Abueva’s
arrival has long dissipated.
Before the Aces entered the court,
they were as loose as any winning ballclub. They had played well but crumbled
in the endgame during their skid. For the three holdovers of their last title
team – Thoss, Baguio, and Tony dela Cruz – this one recalls the Fiesta
Conference of 2010 when they won four straight before losing five straight that
put a huge damper on their entire campaign. They are now 5-6 and in the bottom
half while Ginebra has continued its climb up the standings and is now at 5-5.
A dejected Alaska head coach Luigi
Trillo headed out of the Smart Araneta Coliseum with his forehead knotted. “There
has to be an answer for this,” he said then walked out into the dark night.
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Hope to see Nino Gelig play for the Aces! There he is behind Gabby Espinas.
Luigi Trillo talks about defending LA Tenorio and Mark Caguioa.
cool blog!
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