MANILA, Philippines – Alaska forward Calvin Abueva offered pointed words after the Aces exited the 2017 PBA Philippine Cup playoffs on Tuesday.
Abueva and the Aces squandered a twice-to-beat advantage and bowed to Barangay Ginebra in their knockout game, 97-108. "The Beast" scored 29 points and 13 rebounds in the contest, while Vic Manuel added 23. But Alaska had no answer for LA Tenorio, who had 31 points, and Aljon Mariano, who scored 20.
Abueva clearly felt the sting of defeat, telling reporters in a short post-game interview: "Hanggang sa dulo, may kasama. Hindi natin alam kung sino. Basta kami, naglaro kami ng maayos."
"Wala na tayong magagawa."
The Aces beat the Gin Kings when they played in the eliminations, and took a 17-point lead in their first game of the quarterfinals last Sunday. But a brutal third quarter, which saw Ginebra outscore them 33-13, allowed the Gin Kings to force a do-or-die game.
In their knockout game on Tuesday, Ginebra again pulled away in the third frame, outscoring Alaska 31-18 to turn a 51-53 halftime deficit into a comfortable advantage. although Abueva tried his best to keep the Aces afloat, in the end they were unable to match the Gin Kings' firepower.
To add salt to the wound, Ginebra's legion of fans turned their attention on "The Beast" towards the closing minutes of the contest, chanting "Calvin, nganga," in a mockery of Abueva's infamous gesture to his opponents.
Abueva's coach did not necessarily share his outlook on the game, however. Alex Compton told reporters after the game that Alaska "did not lose for any other reason than Ginebra outplayed us."
"They deserved it," Compton said. "It's reality. I wish I could have done something to make it different, but they just beat us. They played really well. So credit to them, and congratulations for doing a great job.
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