Cone not satisfied with Aces' 87-76 triumph vs Boosters

Alaska downed Barako Bull in the PBA Philippine Cup Sunday night, but it wasn't good enough to impress multi-titled coach Tim Cone. The Aces lost grip of a big 23-point lead early in the fourth quarter and needed a timely three-point basket by Cyrus Baguio and a three-point completion courtesy of Joe DeVance down the stretch to turn back the pesky Energy Boosters, 87-76, Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. The scrambling win had Cone very upset at the way his Aces, the reigning Fiesta Cup champions, played against a team that occupies the cellar in the season-opening meet. “I’m just not happy about the way we played, especially in the fourth," said Cone in the post-game interview. “It’s almost back to the drawing board. Barako Bull is a well-coached team. They never quit in any of their games." Trailing 46-69, the Energy Boosters made things interesting with a spirited 25-10 run that brought them to within eight points at 79-71 on a basket by Dennis Daa. That was when Baguio and DeVance struck. Left open, Baguio hit a crucial trey, and after Chad Alonzo completed a three-point play, Devance came back and answered with a three-point play of his own to keep Barako Bull at bay, 85-74. The victory allowed Alaska to even its record at 5-5, but it was only its second win in its last seven games. Baguio led all Alaska scorers with 19 points and five rebounds, while Devance submitted 16 points and eight rebounds. Also finishing in double figures for the Aces were Sonny Thoss and Reynel Hugnatan with 13 and 10, respectively. The Energy Boosters dropped to their fifth loss in a row, and are once more teetering on the edge of elimination for the fifth straight conference. Still, Cone sees an upside despite the Aces struggling to pull this one off. “This win is big for us coming into our games against Derby Ace and Rain or Shine this week," said Cone. “We never concede anything until we are out, and our target is to keep on winning to get some momentum. There’s a small difference between third and sixth place. What we are looking for now is to avoid falling into seventh or eighth spot." Reed Juntilla scored 16 points to pace Barako Bull while Daa added 13. - KY, RCJ, GMANews.TV