'Underdog' Aces eye commanding 3-0 series lead
For coach Tim Cone, a reverse psychology of sort may just work wonders for his Alaska Aces against the San Miguel Beermen. Up two games to none against the defending PBA Fiesta Cup champions in the best-of-seven Finals, Cone believes it wouldnât hurt his team if it continues to approach the title series, beginning with Wednesdayâs Game 3, with an underdog attitude. âSomehow, weâre going to create a mindset that weâre down in this series, not up 2-0," said Cone. âWeâre playing such a talented team that if weâre not vigilant, this series could turn on a dime." Cone, the winningest coach in PBA history, is speaking through experience. Alaska also led Talk âN Text, 2-0, in the 2008-09 Philippine Cup Finals, but blew the commanding lead and lost the series â and the title â in seven games. The American coach knows a chance of it happening again is not impossible especially against a team as formidable as the San Miguel Beermen. âWeâre expecting a greater response from SMB. So we need to be certain that we play at our tempo and keep focusing on the little things," said Cone. Game time is at 7 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum as the embattled champions look for a breakthrough win and not allow themselves to be down 3-0 â a deficit that has yet to be overcome in the 35 years of the league. âWeâre down, but not out," said SMB coach Siot Tanquingcen. âI can still see bright spots. Even if weâre playing poorly, weâre still very much in the game. However, we must exert more effort. They (Aces) are executing their system very well."
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV The series so far has been a closely-fought one, with the first two games being decided by an average margin of 5.5 points. The Beermen actually had a chance of winning Game 2, but a big defensive stop by the Aces at crunch time allowed them to pull off a gripping 94-90 win. The Aces also held San Miguelâs Gabe Freeman to just 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting and negating the trio of Arwind Santos, Jay Washington and Joseph Yeo to score a combined 20 points. Freemanâs shooting woes came just a few nights after the back-to-back Fiesta Cup Best Import awardee exploded for 37 points in an 89-83 Game 1 loss. For San Miguel to get back in the series, it also needs solid contributions from veteran Dondon Hontiveros who has scored just nine points in two games, including a point in the Game 2 loss. â JVP, GMANews.TV