The Best: Coach Luigi Trillo can breathe a sigh of relief because it looks like his Alaska Aces are still capable of putting up a great showing. That’s what the team was able to accomplish last night when they trounced the Express thanks to a great fourth quarter windup. Naturally, it was reigning ‘Best Import’ Rob Dozier who did most of the damage, scoring 23 points on 8/15 FG shooting while also notching 9 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 assists. As a team, the Aces shot well, making 43% of their threes, 51% of their 2-point FGs and 73% of their free throws. They lost the rebounding battle, 41-39, but they made up for this by showing better ball distribution. Alaska had 18 assists to just 9 for Air21.
The Worst: The Express had a chance to stick to the leaders had they won this game. Instead, they let up in the fourth and allowed the Aces to gain their second W in five games. Joseph Yeo had another great outing for Air21 with 19 points, 5 assists and 4 boards, but he got little support from import Herve Lamizana. The Ivorian big man struggled on offense again, shooting just 4/14 from the floor to finish with a pedestrian 16 markers. He did grab 10 rebounds, but this was once again offset by his missing 5 free throws and turning the ball over three times. Something tells me this guy is on his way out.
Aces up the sleeve: Alaska’s local Aces showed up to play in this one. Former Gilas big man Sonny Thoss had a huge double-double line — 14 points and 12 rebounds to go along with 3 assists and 3 blocks — in leading the Uytengsu franchise, while reigning Rookie of the Year Calvin Abueva shot 3/3 from the field and 6/8 from the line to register 13 points. The backcourt duo of JVee Casio and RJ Jazul also shone, pairing up for 20 points, 4 triples, and 5 dimes. If the locals can consistently play at a high level, then Alaska still has a legitimate chance of defending its Commish Cup title. – Rappler.com
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