Games today:
Araneta Coliseum
4:15 p.m.- Alaska vs. Blackwater
7:00 p.m.- NLEX vs. Purefoods
The unbeaten Alaska Aces look to bag their sixth straight win and barring any major collapse, they are expected to do just that as they play winless Blackwater Elite in today’s first game of the 40th PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Aces remain the only unbeaten squad in the 12-team field, overcoming a tough schedule to start the tournament.
In their impressive start, the Aces defeated pre-tournament favorites such as defending champions Purefoods Star Hotshots, San Miguel Beermen and the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters. The rampaging start also saw the Aces manhandle the Meralco Bolts, 105-64.
Interestingly, the Aces went through some anxious moments in their last game, where they considered heavy favorites as they needed a strong push in the endgame before they escaped with an 85-75 win over Kia Sorento.
“Kia had the fighting heart and they played really hard. We did not match their intensity, and they pushed us to the limit,” Alaska head coach Alex Compton said.
Calvin Abueva was monster in that game, finishing with a game-high 23 points while grabbing 21 rebounds. It was the second 20-20 game for Abueva this conference.