PBA Cup Finals 2015: San Miguel Beermen vs. Alaska Aces Preview for Game 7

The Alaska Aces forced a deciding Game 7 in the 2015 PBA Cup Finals on Sunday, drawing the series level with an 87-76 victory over the San Miguel Beermen.

Wednesday will see the two teams go head-to-head one final time for a winner-take-all game, with the first conference title of the year on the line.

The Beermen had the momentum going into Game 6, having turned a 2-1 series deficit into a 3-2 lead after consecutive victories. But it is the Aces who will take to the court at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao on the up on Wednesday.

All to Play for

It is now almost impossible to call the eventual winner of the 2015 PBA Cup after Game 6's result, as Leo Austria's Beermen had looked to be the form team.

Their victories in Game 4 and Game 5—results of 88-70 and 93-88, respectively—had put them in the driving seat, and they were 23-17 to the good after the first quarter on Sunday, per CNN Philippines' Levi Verora Jr., with the a Finals win sight:

"

Jazul got a decent attempt! Sorry miss. Beermen ahead 23-17 after the 1st qtr. #PBAFinals #PBA2015

— Levi Verora Jr (@levijoshua) January 18, 2015"

However, Alex Compton's Aces turned things around and will take a serious boost from having fought their way back from the brink of defeat.

Jvee Casio turned things on for the Aces in Game 6 after poor showings in the previous two encounters, with sports analyst Ronnie Nathanielsz suggesting the point guard will be key on Wednesday:

The Aces had to come back from yet another early period deficit to extend what has been a fascinating Finals series, and Compton will no doubt drill into his players ahead of Game 7 the importance of finally making a fast start.

As the Aces head coach noted after Game 6, it is certainly never his plan to go behind early, per the Philippine Daily Inquirer's Musong R. Castillo.

"I know the history behind the Araneta (Coliseum), the Thrilla in Manila was fought here," said Compton. "I wish I can say that I had the master game plan like Muhammad Ali, the rope-a-dope. But (trailing) 18-4 was never planned."

However, the Aces have proved time and again that they can come back from an early deficit, as they did on Sunday with terrific play from, among many others, Dondon Hontiveros, per PBAonTV5:

While the Aces have the momentum, the Beermen should arguably have already wrapped up this cup win and will be motivated to not allow it to slip away in Game 7.

Three times in this series, they have held convincing early leads that they have allowed to be overturned, and a similar capitulation would prove devastating on Wednesday.

June Mar Fajardo and Arwind Santos ran Game 5 for the Beermen, per Sports Desk, an encounter in which they took the initiative and kept it to then take the win:

Both players will need to come to the fore again come Game 7 if the Beermen are going to be in with a chance of closing out a triumphant series.

After six clashes, it all comes down to one final game on Wednesday to decide who will be crowned champions of the PBA Cup.

Both sides will be looking to hit their best form at the right time, and it should be an explosive encounter. But there can only be one winner, and it is likely to come down to the finest of margins on Wednesday in Quezon City.