Though dropping two of their last three games, the San Miguel Beermen are optimistic they can get back on track and clinch a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
“We’re still in contention for the Top Two spot. We’re still in a good position to hit our goal,” said SMB coach Leo Austria.
The Beermen pursue their goal as they tangle with the struggling Alaska Milk side in a Petron Blaze Saturday Special at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.
Austria said they will take to heart their loss to Barangay Ginebra the last time out as they press their own bid in their spirited five-way rumble for the Top Two with the Gin Kings, the Star Hotshots, the Meralco Bolts and the TNT KaTropa Texters.
“We will treat that as a lesson for us, a wake-up call for us,” said Austria of their 99-107 defeat at the hands of the Kings Sunday.
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The Beermen automatically earn a Top Two finish and the win-once bonus in the quarters with a sweep of their last three games against the Aces, the Blackwater Elite and the GlobalPort Batang Pier.
But first, Austria wants his team to focus on the task at hand versus Alaska, a very dangerous team coming from five straight losses.
Alaska, at seventh place with a 4-5 slate, is aching to snap out of the rut and put some distance against pursuers Phoenix (4-6) and GlobalPort (3-6).
The Aces’ main concern is how to recall their deadly defensive game.
Coach Alex Compton aired this concern before their game against the NLEX Road Warriors. Yet, they didn’t improve and went down with a 92-100 loss to the erstwhile winless NLEX squad.
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“We are not having a problem scoring the ball, but our defense has been porous, may mga butas-butas,” rued Compton.
“The last two years, by most metrics, we’ve been the best team in a conference in the whole PBA defensively, so it’s a dramatic drop that we need to do something about to really have a shot,” Compton pointed out.
The Aces got off to a rousing 4-0 start in the conference before going on a woeful stretch where they dropped all their last five games.
They’re now hard pressed to win their last two games to secure a playoff berth.
