Ever since Kevin Alas turned pro back in 2014, he has always been reigning victorious over his dad Louie whenever they cross paths — Kevin with the TNT Katropa and the NLEX Road Warriors, while Louie serving as the Alaska Aces’ assistant coach.
But on Sunday night, the patriarch of the Alas household could finally come home and say that he had defeated Kevin.
Now serving as the head coach of the Phoenix Fuel Masters, Louie and his wards took care of business and thwarted Kevin and the Road Warriors, 102-95, for their second straight victory at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“Hindi ako nanalo [while with Alaska]. Good thing, good thing [nanalo na ‘ko],” shared the 54-year-old bench strategist moments after the match.
“First time akong nanalo sa kanya, at least makakabawi naman ako ngayon.”
Louie also bared that Sunday night was actually his first time to meet his son this 2018.
“Na-miss ko na nga,” the soft-spoken mentor added. “Eight days na pala mula noong New Year… Ngayon hindi muna siya umuwi, sabi niya concentrate muna sila.
“Sabi ko pagkatapos na lang ng game, let’s have dinner.”
For Kevin, that dinner might not be a good one for him, as he is expecting plenty of jeers from his dad.
“Malungkot ako pero ‘pag kinantiyawan ako nun, wala akong magagawa,” shared the 26-year-old.
“‘Di ako puwede maging pikon.”
Aside from this mini father-versus-son contest, this loss stings a bit for Alas. The Letran product wasn’t much of a factor, as he only finished with six points, two rebounds, and three assists.
“Malungkot kasi talo kami and at the same time ang sama din ng laro ko,” said the Gilas Pilipinas member, who averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds prior to this game. “Past two games ko I was struggling eh. So kailangan ko rin makuha game shape ko.
“I’m struggling for three games na.”
Moreover, the loss ended the Road Warriors’ two-game winning run. But for the six-foot Alas, this defeat will only make them a much better unit as the 2018 Philippine Cup rolls on.
“It’s a good wake-up call for us kasi parang, I think, we felt good about ourselves, sabi nga rin ni Coach Yeng [Guiao] sa amin,” said fourth-year pro. “We just have to self check — ako personally papanoorin ko yung tape and titignan ko yung mga kulang ko.
“We just have to be better.”
