Alaska's Romeo Travis fires a fadeaway jumper as Sonny Thoss provides a screen to ward off three Star defenders in Sunday night's Game 3 of their PBA Governors' Cup semifinal series at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. Jay R. Gotera Saudi Gazette
MANILA — The Alaska Aces dethroned the defending champions Star Hotshots with a masterful 82-77 victory in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinals Sunday night to bag the first Finals berth in the season-ending 2015 PBA Governors' Cup. Just like in Games 1 and 2, the Aces started slow but gradually built up speed, choking the Hotshots in defense while firing with all guns ablaze at the falling Star in the endgame. Top-seeded Alaska now awaits the winner of the San Miguel Beermen vs. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters series, currently tied at 1-1, giving the Aces about a week's rest before plunging back into action. Import Romeo Travis and Vic Manuel formed the spearhead of the Alaska offense, with the two banging crucial baskets down the stretch. Travis finished with 19 points, 10 of them in the decisive fourth quarter. He also grabbed 10 boards. Vic Manuel scored 14 points, including a clutch basket with about a minute left that slammed the door on a Star comeback. Rookie Rome Dela Rosa and Cyrus Baguio added 11 markers apiece. Jvee Casio chipped in nine points. The Hotshots led for the first three quarters, with their defense stifling Alaska's gunners. At the same time veterans James Yap and Marc Pingris started making big shots. Yap scored nine points in the second quarter, including seven straight, to turn a two-point Star lead into a 46-37 bubble at halftime. Yap finished as the top scorer for Star with 20 points, 15 of them in the first half. Pingris had 8 markers, five boards and three assists. The Aces began to flex their muscle in the third period with JVee Casio unleashing huge long-rage bombs with help from Calvin Abueva who ran rings around the Star defenders. Manuel then grabbed the spotlight in the fourth quarter as he scored six points in an 11-4 Alaska run to start the period, as the Aces took the lead, 71-69, with seven minutes left. Manuel capped his heroics with a mid-range basket despite a swarming Star defense to give Alaska an 81-77 lead time down to 30 seconds. Aside from Yap, import Marqus Blakely was the only other double-digit scorer for Star with 15 points. Alex Mallari added 9 points while Pingris and Joe Devance had a tame 8 points apiece. Game Monday: Rain or Shine Elasto Painters vs. San Miguel Beermen (Game 3 of best-of-5 semifinals; series tied 1-1).
