REIGNING PBA Commissioner’s Cup champion Alaska tries to build on its two-game winning streak when it faces dangerous Barako Bull in the PBA Commissioners Cup on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Aces won for the second straight time against San Miguel Beermen, 89-78, on Saturday to hike their record to an even 3-3, forging a four-way tie with Air21, Meralco, and Rain or Shine for the fourth to seventh places in the standings.
Coach Luigi Trillo doesn’t want to get too excited though, despite catching a “big fish” in the Beermenl, opting to remain low-key as the Aces try to improve its mark against Barako Bull in their 5:45 p.m. game serving as the curtain raiser to the Ginebra-Meralco showdown.
Trillo said the Aces will have to keep working on their ball movement, especially after seeing his team turn the ball over 23 times against the Beermen in the conference’s first out-of-town game in Binan, Laguna.
“We’re a little bit sloppy with our turnovers, although against San Miguel, we shot the ball pretty well, especially on the free throw line,” Trillo said.
The Aces though will have to defend the perimeter well as the Energy are averaging 10 three-point shots per contest this conference.
Import Joshua Dollard has been leading Barako Bull in the tournament with his league-best 35.3 points per game average along with 15.2 rebounds.
An added concern for Alaska is the reawakening of two-time league MVP Willie Miller, who played a huge role in Barako Bull’s come-from-behind 92-90 win over San Mig Super Coffee last week.
Miller, who scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth period against the Mixers, remains a solid offensive contributor as reflected in his 11.8 points per game average.
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