MANILA – Alaska Aces will have a final shot of making it to the 2019 Honda PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoffs when it faces Meralco Bolts in a do-or-die game for the eighth and final quarterfinals seat tonight at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Aces could have entered the quarterfinals outright last weekend but suffered a 112-104 in the hands of the Blackwater Elite. Head coach Alex Compton, however, remains positive that they can snap their five-game losing run.
“As long as there’s life left, we’re going to honor the game,” said Compton. “Apparently we still have a sliver breath of hope of making it to the next round we’re going to fight for that.”
He added: “If you got a chance, you honor it and you play hard. It might be a small chance and it might not be a big chance but when you have a chance you have to leave it all out there.”
The Bolts, on the other hand, kept its quarterfinals hopes alive after a 95-91 upset over the San Miguel Beermen on Wednesday behind the heroics of Delroy James in the endgame.
“We were able to live another day to fight Alaska. I know it’s gonna be a tough game for us but at least we have a chance,” said Bolts head coach Norman Black. “Delroy really came through in the clutch when he hit key baskets.”
During their lone elimination round game on June 9, the Aces narrowly defeated the Bolts, 93-89, but both teams have different reinforcements then./PN
