Diamon Simpson only had high praises for Vic Manuel following the latter’s performance that led to the Alaska Aces’ semifinal-clinching victory over the Magnolia Hotshots, Tuesday night.
The returning import witnessed firsthand how Manuel restored order for the Aces when the Hotshots came back from 16 down. Manuel powered a 7-0 run that led Alaska to an 89-78 win.
Simpson, moreover, saw Manuel work his way towards 22 points — his 11th straight 20-point game since last April 29 — plus nine rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block.
“Vic is amazing.
“He can score the ball. He’s a great player. Alaska’s very fortunate to have him, and I love playing with him. He makes everything so much easier. And he’s a great person as well,” lauded Simpson, who had 13 points and 15 rebounds.
Tuesday night’s feat means plenty for the franchise, as this will be the first time that the Milkmen will be semis-bound after two years, or since the 2016 edition of the same conference.
But the upcoming semis will surely be a long, rough road.
The Aces will be waiting for the winner of the TNT Katropa-San Miguel Beermen series for their next opponent. The best-of-three clash has a chance to end this Wednesday, should SMB sweep TNT.
Though Alaska have the edge, as they defeated both the Beermen and the Texters back in the eliminations, Simpson knows that they can’t afford to take both squads lightly.
San Miguel and TNT were last year’s Finals contenders in the mid-season tilt.
“Both of those teams are really tough teams. Don’t wanna get ahead of ourselves, but we have to prepare for them,” said Simpson.
“They’re super talented, and, yeah, we got a lot to do.”
