MANILA, 12 May 2007 — Just when no one in the PBA Fiesta Cup field could have laid claim to it, Alaska surely looks like mighty Barangay Ginebra’s master.
The Aces, with Rosell Ellis churning out a triple double, scored a repeat over the Gin Kings last night, 97-91, that snapped Ginebra’s tournament-best six-game winning streak at the Ynares Center.
Ellis shot 14 points and snared down the same number of rebounds before issuing 11 feeds in a monster game that carried the Aces to their ninth win in 13 games, tied with idle Red Bull and Air21 and now just within a full game of the league-leading Kings.
Ginebra lost for the first time in more than a month, with two of its three losses also in 13 games coming at the hands of the Aces, 100-98, in the Kings debut last March 11 at the Araneta Coliseum.
“Gee, it’s tough to play a team as hot as that because they are so confident,” Alaska coach Tim Cone later said. “I thought we had them early, but then we had to bleed for everything. It was just a tough game.”
Willie Miller drained a three-pointer with 1:55 left that broke the game’s last tie at 89 as the Aces scooted away for good when Ginebra couldn’t respond.
Rod Nealy was brilliant all game - except in the stretch when he failed to rescue the Kings out of trouble. He even had a silly error of dribbling off his foot in one crucial play which actually came before that Miller triple.
Sunday Salvacion was the other hot player for the Kings, finishing with 25 points to share team honors with Nealy. But he also went cold inside the final two minutes, with the only Ginebra basket that came after that tie coming from Jec Chia for 91-92.
Salvacion had 12 points in the fourth period. Nealy also finished with 22 rebounds and six assists. Ronald Tubid was the last King in twin digits with 11, but he was played sparingly in the second half.
“I guess we were just fortunate on those two games,” Cone said in downplaying his latest conquest of the Kings. “The first time, Nealy was kind of adjusting (to the league) and tonight, they didn’t have most of their key players. “So I guess that kind of evens things out.” Miller, the MVP while with Talk ‘N Text in 2002, went on to pace the Aces with 22 points and John Ferriols, Jeffrey Cariaso and Nic Belasco all finished in double digits to combine for another 37.
Sta. Lucia snapped a five-game losing streak earlier after import Jamaal Williams scored eight of the Realtors’ final 12 points in a 93-92 victory over Purefoods.
The Realtors won for the first time in more than five weeks, thanks in part to two crucial errors by Purefoods swingman James Yap and the inspired performance of Williams.
Williams finished with 32 points and 15 rebounds, and Nelbert Omolon backed him up with 26, 16 coming in the first two periods.Kelly Williams was the other player in twin digits for the Realtors after shooting 18 capped by a driving layup in the final 76 seconds which put Sta. Lucia within 91-92.
And then Jamaal Williams finished the job, powering his way past Richard Yee in the next Sta. Lucia offensive to eventually round out scoring and give the Realtors only their fourth win in 13 games.
The Realtors got out of ninth place, which Purefoods now occupies after taking its 10th loss in 14 games despite getting 40 points from Marquin Chandler and 20 from Yap.
“I am happy and relieved,” rookie coach Boyet Fernandez said after snapping out of the rut. “We played as a team tonight.” Curiously, Fernandez’ first win as a coach also came at the expense of Purefoods, 102-95. The Giants have now lost their last three games by a combined margin of seven points. The two defeats before this one were both by three points and Purefoods looked like it had this game in the bag after a Yap triple ushered the team to an 88-81 lead with 3:35 left. But Yap himself aided the Purefoods downfall after getting his layup smothered by Marlou Aquino that led to a three-point play by Jamaal Williams.
Yap then flicked a weak pass to Marquin Chandler which Jamaal Williams easily intercepted. And to compound matters, Yap then gave a streaking Williams a lousy foul that led to another three-point play that put the Realtors ahead, 89-88, 2:27 left. The Giants moved out in front for the last time at 92-89 after two charities by Chandler and a long jumper by Yap that beat the shotclock going into the final 81 seconds.But that proved to be the final time that Purefoods would score, as rookie Kelly Williams barrelled his way inside for a quick two before Jamaal Williams scored on a short stab off Richard Yee for what turned out to be the final score with still 37 ticks left.
