Balik sa kampeonato ang Alaska makaraang gapiin ang Globalport, 118-89, noong Martes ng gabi sa Game Five ng kanilang best-of-7 semifinals series matapos mabigo sa series opener ng 2016 PBA Philippine Cup sa Araneta Coliseum.
Sa kanilang pagbabalik, hangad ng Aces na makapaghiganti at makabawi sa masaklap na kabiguang nalasap sa kamay ng San Miguel Beer noong nakaraang taong finals kung saan nakamit ng Beermen ang titulo matapos ang isang winning 3-pointer ni Arwind Santos papaubos na ang oras sa Game Seven.
Dahil sa kanilang pagkapanalo, naiposte ng Aces ang kanilang ika-29 na pangkalahatang finals appearance at ika-10 sa All-Filipino Conference.
Bunga rin ng kanilang pagwawalis sa apat na sunod na laro ng series matapos mabigo sa Game One, may tsansa pa ang Aces na makapaghanda sa Finals kung saan hihintayin nila kung sino ang magwawagi sa isa pang semifinals pairings sa pagitan ng Beermen at Rain or Shine.
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At para kay Aces team owner Wilfred Steven Uytengsu,hindi nila iniisipkung sino ang kanilang makakatunggali dahil mas pagtutuunan nila ng pansin ang paghahanda upang makabawi sa kabiguang nalasap noong isang taon.
“The All-Filipino is the most special championship for a team to win, and last year’s is such a painful loss,” pahayag ni Uytengsu. “I would love nothing more than to present them (championship) rings; we’re gonna play whoever wins.”
“We’re going to play who wins,” dagdag pa nito.“You be careful what you ask for.”
Ngunit inamin nito na mas gusto niya ang Rain or Shine dahil higit na mas may karanasan dito ang San Miguel Beer at may taglay na tradisyon. Gayunman, ay hindi naman aniya matatawaran ang talentong taglay ng koponan ni coach Yeng Guiao.
“We want to play Rain or Shine because maybe they don’t have the tradition and the experience of San Miguel, but they’re very talented.They have a lot of weapons.”
Kung magwawagi naman, aniya, ang Beermen, may tsansa silang makabawi sa rematch ng nakaraang taong finals.
“Last year’s all-Filipino was such a painful loss, because we were there,” ani Uytengsu. “We clawed ourselves back from double-digit figures in the second half in each of the game we won and in Game Seven, we clawed back from twenty-two points.”
“Either way, it’s going to be hard, to be the best, you have to beat the best, so I don’t care who we play as long as we win,”pahabol pa nito. (MARIVIC AWITAN)
