(0-2)Alaska Aces heads-up Globalport Batangpier (2-0) the rising Philippine PBA team.
Alaska vs. Globalport
EVENTS: Full Game Replay
Where: Mall of Asia Arena
When: Wednesday December 7, 2016
When: Wednesday December 7, 2016
Recap:
Calvin Abueva admitted he was eager to make an immediate impact in his PBA Season 42 debut for Alaska on Wednesday night.
Sidelined the first two games by a quadriceps tear, the Aces star played like he was never injured, tallying a team-high 22 points, 11 boards, two steals, and one assist in just 26 minutes as Alaska dealt GlobalPort its first loss, 95-84, in the Philippine Cup.
Best Player of the Game:
Calvin Abueva made an outstanding season debut as he sparked the comeback from nine points down halfway through the fourth, before JVee Casio put the finishing touches as the Aces tightened their defensive screws down the stretch.
The Aces, who climbed from a hole as deep as 16 points in the third, thus registered their first win in three games, while handing the Batang Pier their first loss after two straight wins.
The 6-foot-1 1/2 Abueva stood tallest, pouring in 15 of his team-high 22 points in the final frame, including 10 straight in one stretch, the last from a three-pointer that pulled the Aces to within one, 77-78, after they trailed by 69-78 with over six minutes left.