ONCE again, Alaska is looking to keep its smooth campaign intact when it shoots for a piece of tournament lead in the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup as it plunges back to the hardwood.
Completely in sync and playing with a lot of efficiency, the Aces (4-1), who are currently tied for second, will be tested once more, this time by the Star Hotshots (2-4), who have yet to find their groove, at 7 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
In the curtain-raiser, NLEX (3-2) aims to keep its climb going when it figures in a sibling clash with rejuvenated Meralco (1-5) at 4:15 p.m.
A fifth win for Alaska will get it right back on top with San Miguel Beer (5-1) as they will once again share the tournament lead.
After tasting their first loss two weeks ago, the Aces didn’t waste any time bouncing back in a big way.
In its last outing, Alaska turned what was supposed to be a highly-contested game into a decisive beatdown, giving GlobalPort a reality check by handing a dominant 123-104 rout last Friday.
Alaska coach Alex Compton was very impressed with his wards, saying he was quite satisfied with how they were able to respond well to the challenges they faced.
‘’Wala akong masabi sa mga players. Ginagawa talaga nila lahat so far for us to win,’’ said Compton. ‘’We’re really moving the ball well and we’re playing as a team. We’d like to sustain this.’’
While last year’s runner-up is continuing to have success this conference, the same can’t be said of the Star Hotshots.
With new coach Jason Webb calling the shots, Star is still adjusting and its inconsistent ways are showing.
Last Saturday, the Hotshots suffered an upset defeat at the hands of the Bolts, 87-83, unable to shackle their foes down the stretch.
Following its 2-0 start, NLEX dropped two straight and fell to the middle of the pack. But in their last game, the Road Warriors showed that they are a legitimate dangerous team.
NLEX stunned powerhouse Talk ‘N Text, 107-101, behind the game of Sean Anthony, who scored a career-high 32 points.
NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez is happy that his team is back on track now after the skid it encountered.
‘’It’s nice for us to get back on the winning track. I give my players credit for that. Our character was tested and we’re stepping up,’’ he said.
However, it’s not only NLEX heading into the game with a lot of confidence.
After that huge first win against Star, Meralco is hoping that it can be the start of something good.
‘’I’m happy we’re finally able to win our first game. We’re much better than our record right now and we’re hoping to show that,’’ said Bolts’ coach Norman Black.
Meralco is relying heavily on the production of resident scorer Gary David, who continues to have a personal onslaught, scoring 26 points in that win over the Hotshots to lead his squad.
His offense will certainly be vital for Meralco when it takes on NLEX.