PBA Cup Finals 2015: San Miguel Beermen vs. Alaska Aces Preview for Game 4
The Alaska Aces will take a deserved 2-1 series lead into the fourth match of the PBA Cup Finals as they look to further upset the odds against the San Miguel Beermen.
The Aces—considered to be underdogs by many ahead of the series—produced an enthralling fourth-period fightback in Game 3 of this engrossing series, outscoring their illustrious opponents by 32-6 in the final 12 minutes to take a 78-70 win.
Alex Compton’s team now know they can put themselves within one game of winning the PBA Cup with victory in Game 4. Here’s a look at how both teams are faring on the cusp of this one.
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Aces Hoping to Call on More Fighting Spirit
In theory, the Aces could easily be 3-0 down in this series. After being 22 points back in the opener and 21 points behind in the third match, a lesser side would have crumbled. Remarkably, however, this team have come back on both occasions to take wins and have the momentum firmly behind them moving into the second half of the finals.
The most recent comeback was arguably even more impressive than the first. The turnaround came in the fourth quarter this time, and although you need attacking players to get the points on the board, the catalyst for the win was some stellar defensive work.
Sports writer Paul Mata paid tribute to the Aces’ defence and Sonny Thoss in particular:
Thoss was impressive throughout, but he really stepped it up a notch when his team needed him too. Defensively, he was immovable in the fourth quarter, shutting down the Beermen’s forward forays with astute positioning time after time, but he was also a major threat for the Aces in advanced positions.
Those attributes manifested into a wonderfully well-rounded display, and as noted here by PBAonTV5, it was Thoss and team-mate Ping Exciminiano who were the two best players on display:
Former coach of the Philippines national team Chot Reyes paid tribute to Exciminiano:
For the Beermen, it’s going to be difficult to haul themselves off their knees after this latest crushing defeat. Exciminiano and Thoss really stood up for their team at crucial moments in the match, and although the Beermen have some undeniably excellent players, they were shrinking violets when the pressure came from their opponents.
Coach Leo Austria also needs to up his game somewhat; as noted by analyst Ronnie Nathanielsz, Compton has had his number at key points in the series:
During their win in Game 2, men such as Arwind Santos, Chris Lutz and June Mar Fajardo were magnificent when things were going the way of their team. But they weren't to be seen in the latter stages of the match when the Beermen desperately needed a fillip of positivity to get them back into contention in the match.
After this latest defeat, it’s very difficult to see where the Beermen's initiative is going to come from moving into Game 4. The Aces will be desperate for this game to get underway and, regardless of the in-game scoreline, will fancy their chances. By contrast, the Beermen are going to be under massive scrutiny, and subsequently, their performance level could suffer.
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