MILLER LIFTS ALASKA TO 3-2 LEAD

Last 3-pt prayer shoves Alaska on brink of Phil Cup throne

Friday, 06 February 2009

Willie Miller threw up a "prayer" that was answered with 8.7 seconds remaining, leaving the usually effusive Tim Cone, the Alaska Aces coach, tongue-tied. Trailing by one with the clock winding down, Miller, on whose hands the Aces had put their fate in many occasions, swished in a three-point shot from about 30 feet to lift Alaska past Talk 'N Text, 95-93, Friday night for a 3-2 lead in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome. The Aces can capture their 13th championship with a victory in Game 6 Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. Talk 'N Text called time after Miller's huge shot and drew a play for long-distance shooter Renren Ritualo at deep left corner. Ritualo had a wide-open line but his triple veered slightly to the right. Harvey Carey collared the short bounce but his putback was also off, bringing to a close one of the most intensely-fought games in the best-of-seven series. "We're lucky Willie made the shot," said Cone, who picked up his 601st career win, tying him with his coaching idol, Baby Dalupan in all-time most wins in league history. "We would have been crushed had he missed, and he would have heard it from everybody." In the rare occasion that he struggled for a response, Cone said the play indeed was to get the ball to Miller, and for the two-time MVP to create the way he did earlier when he fed Sonny Thoss under the basket. "Was it designed for him to take a three-point shot? Frankly, no. In fact I was surprised he took it," Cone said. "But he felt the rhythm and so he took the shot and made it. That's the sign of a great player." Asked to comment further on Miller's decision to take a triple when all they needed was a 2-point basket, Cone stammered and said," You're putting me on a spot," stepping away from the table just as Miller walked in to take his turn in the post-game interview. The man of the hour joked with sportswriters, but turned somber when the subject came up. "Ang instruction talaga mag-create ako. Pero nag-sag si (Jared) Dillinger kaya tinira ko na," he said. Did he know the shot was going in, Miller, who raised both arms when the 3-pointer dropped in, said, laughing: "Hindi. Ang sama ng porma e." A dejected Chot Reyes, the Texters coach, took responsibility for the loss. "It was my fault," Reyes said, referring to their defense of the throw-in spot during the Miller play. "It was stupid coach's mistake." The Aces, who had lost Games 3 & 4 after taking a 2-0 series lead, blew a 90-83 lead with 3:28 left and found themselves trailing, 93-92, after Ranidel de Ocampo's 10-footer with 17.8 seconds left. Miller, who had consecutive turnovers when the Texters made their comeback, took the inbounds pass from Tony dela Cruz, took a couple of dribbles, and launched a Hail Mary shot over Dillinger that triggered a frenzy of celebration on the Alaska bench. The Aces woke up from a languid start to unload an 18-2 salvo in a dominant first quarter on the way to a 51-43 lead at the half. Six-foot-7 Sonny Thoss had six of his 12 first half points in that critical run, while Joe Devance and Tony dela Cruz each had four as Alaska pulled out an aggressive defense that forced four Texters turnovers in opening a 20-13 lead. Sophomore Yousif Aljamal came off the bench to score nine of his personal conference-high 12 points in the first 12 minutes, keeping Talk 'N Text from getting blown away. His back-to-back baskets put the Texters within 22-17. But Devance had four points and Willie Miller a 3-point shot in a 9-0 volley to set up the Aces' for the first of several 14-point spreads, 31-17. Off in his first two triples, Jimmy Alapag drained one to close the gap at 39-32 halfway in the second period. The Aces, however, had an answer to Aljamal, bringing in Larry Fonacier who scored 10 points in the second quarter, burying two from beyond the arc to keep Talk 'N Text at bay. The Texters, who opened with an 11-2 run as Alaska missed its first three shots and turned the ball over twice, was 5 of 15 in 3-point attempts in the first 24 minutes, shooting just 14 of 36 (39 percent). Alaska, which got a league conference-high and career high 12 assists from L.A. Tenorio, pounded the Texters under the boards, 33-16, and picked up 13 points from seven TNT turnovers (TT). The scores: ALASKA 95 – Thoss 20, Fonacier 15, Miller 15, De Vance 11, Tenorio 10, Hugnatan 10, Dela Cruz 9, Ferriols 5. TALK 'N TEXT 93 – Cardona 23, Alapag 19, Dillinger 12, Aljamal 12, De Ocampo R. 10, Castro 7, Carey 4, De Ocampo Y. 4, Peek 2, Ritualo 0. Quarters: 33-24, 51-43, 72-61, 95-93.