AS much as it wanted to win for one of its legends, Alaska couldn’t pull it off against Magnolia and suffered a second straight defeat in the PBA Governors Cup that obviously has a huge bearing on its playoff chances.
Coach Jeff Cariaso said there was a conscious effort on the part of the Aces to go hard for the win as they chase one of the remaining berths in the quarterfinals and give former Alaska big man Sonny Thoss a fitting farewell on his jersey retirement ceremony.
But the Hotshots rained on the Aces' parade by racing to a huge 19-point lead in the opening quarter from where Alaska never recovered.
“I wish we could have played better, but hats off to Magnolia. There’s a reason why there are number one,” said the Alaska coach following the team’s 118-91 loss to the Hotshots on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“You know there’s a lot of former Alaska players here and I wanted to win and show them how the boys are doing even during this time,” Cariaso added. “But that’s the least of our worries.”
The Aces’ concern at the moment is making the playoffs which hinge on the outcome of the remaining games of the eliminations involving other teams also still in contention.
Although it lost its last two outings to finish its campaign at 6-5, Cariaso said everything is not lost yet for the franchise that is playing its final season in the league.
“We’re still optimistic. We’re still alive,” he said.
“We’re still happy. We’re gonna prepare for the worst case: a knockout, Or obviously the Top 2 teams in a twice-to-beat advantage.”
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