Alaska head coach Alex Compton was not sweating even if he and the Aces had just had their seven-game winning streak end. Simply, Compton conceded that the law of averages just caught up with the Milkmen.
Just last Friday against NLEX, Antonio Campbell and the Aces sizzled from downtown, knocking down 14 triples. Moreover, Alaska shot a blistering 59.7 percent from the field to take a 120-111 victory.
Versus Meralco, it was a different story.
The Aces were cold from beyond-the-arc, going just 4-of-22 on triples and 43.4 percent from the field.
“We just didn’t make shots. We missed so many shots, part of that you got to credit Meralco for but sometimes you get wide open ones and we missed it. We missed lay-ups, we missed 12-footers, 15-footers, wide open threes, we missed a ton of them.
“We had a day where we went 14-for-24 from three against NLEX and now we’re 4-out-of-22,” shrugged Compton. “Some of them are much better shots than what we got from NLEX. Sometimes that happens. Guys standing by themselves and they couldn’t make it. We get a put back and we miss it. That happens.”
But it was not even their defense that led them down as Alaska did not allow the Bolts to break the 90-point barrier in their 74-89 loss.
“I didn’t think our defensive effort was bad,” the charismatic mentor opined. “They made shots, they made some plays. I’d be a lot more worried today if they scored 125 points. We fought, they fought, we grinded out, they deserved to win.
“They made the shots and we didn’t and that’s why they got the win.”
With a 7-2 record, the Aces are safe to enter the next round. That is why for their last two games, Compton and his staff are looking for improvements they could tinker with for the playoff grind.
“They’re all important. At this point, one of the benefits you have after that winning streak, you’re not worried about your life,” he shared. “Everything’s positioning.
“For me, it’s how we play, how we’re doing, the things you’re gonna clean up, the adjustments you’re gonna make. How sharp we can be. I hope we win. But when you get to the playoffs, it’s really about who’s sharper in your game. That’s where we’ll focus. We have a week and we have that Gilas break. That’s an interesting space for us. It’s not normal,” he furthered.
“We have to do cleansing.”
