The Alaska Aces collected their third straight win in the 2018 Governors’ Cup as they shot down former player Calvin Abueva and the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 108-97, Wednesday evening at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Aces are now sitting atop the team standings with a 3-0 card, while the Fuel Masters have absorbed their first loss after winning two straight.
Import Mike Harris led Alaska with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Chris Banchero was just an assist shy of a double-double with 19 points and nine dimes, while Simon Enciso had 18 points, which he all got from the line.
But Best Player of the Game honors went to forward Noy Baclao, who had 15 points and seven rebounds. His scoring output is his highest in an Alaska uniform, and it happened on the eighth anniversary of being picked first overall.
“Noy was fantastic – he has a job that no one wants, which is to defend the import. Noy has the saddest and most thankless job,” said Aces head coach Alex Compton of Baclao, who was acquired by Alaska in 2015. “But he played great.”
The 6-foot-5 Baclao was there when the Aces started to pull away in the fourth quarter. From a slim two-point lead at the 9:06 mark, he helped Alaska make a 12-2 scoring blitz to widen their lead to 12, 99-87, with 5:06 remaining.
And when Abueva led Phoenix’s rally to come within seven, 97-104, with 1:36 to go, Baclao made a jumper before Banchero’s lay-up with 25.9 seconds left to play to apply the finishing touches to their third consecutive victory.
Eugene Phelps, who suffered a sprained ankle early in the fourth but managed to play through it, led Phoenix with 27 points and 24 rebounds. Rookie Jason Perkins provided 20 markers on an excellent 9-of-12 shooting.
Abueva had 18 points and nine boards against his former team that drafted him as the second overall pick in 2012.
“Calvin’s Calvin. He makes you play in transition while attacking the basket,” said Compton of his former franchise player, whom they traded to the Fuel Masters prior to the conference. “He’s going to be great for Phoenix.”
Alaska will look to go 4-0 versus the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Sunday, September 2, at 6:45 PM, while Phoenix will battle the struggling TNT KaTropa on Friday, August 31, at 7:00 PM. Both games are still at the Big Dome.
The Scores
Alaska 108 – Harris 23, Banchero 19, Enciso 18, Baclao 15, Manuel 9, Racal 8, Exciminiano 5, Casio 5, Teng 4, Pascual 2.
Phoenix 97 – Phelps 27, Perkins 20, Abueva 18, Wright 13, Chua 6, Jazul 6, Intal 5, Revilla 2, Wilson 0.
Quarterscores: 19-22, 54-49, 83-78, 108-97
