Can the Aces really win over the Mixers?

Who's yo daddy?

Another San Mig Coffee Mixers game for the Alaska Aces, another painful loss that appears to know no end.

What is it with these two teams-- the way they cancel each other out and pretty much play at an equal footing not 'til the closing moments where the Mixers' veteran leadership and overall court savvy comes in to play? The victory was there for the taking for the hard-fighting Aces. They took every jab, straight and hook from the mighty Mixers and were unnerved by it all.

But when it mattered most, the Mixers stuck to who they were under coach Tim Cone, while the Aces faltered-- revealing their own coach's, Luigi Trillo's, lack of composure at the end. Why did Trillo opt to sit star guard Cyrus Baguio for majority of the 4th quarter when they needed some scoring to possibly break away?

Cone knew where his best cards were and used them early and late. There were switches in the 1st quarter that showed those with a keen eye for basketball just how cerebral Cone is. Marc Pingris on Cyrus Baguio was not an accident. It went unnoticed because it didn't happen all throughout the game and was probably dismissed as a mere "accident" on a switch. But it was enough to send a message to the usually aggressive Baguio.

"You want some, come get some."

And last night, the flashy guard was held down to 24 minutes of action and finished with a measly 7 points. Without his creative forays into the paint, all the Mixers had to do was zero in on import Rob Dozier and check the shooters (JVee Casio, Dondon Hontiveros, RJ Jazul etc)-- a lot easier said than done, but it was made simpler with Baguio out of the equation.

Credit though still goes to the Aces who lost by two points despite horrendous shooting nights from 2nd leading scorer Calvin Abueva who shot 3/13 (Baguio's 3rd at 10 ppg) and JVee Casio who fared worse with a 2/13 clip. Then again, you'd have to laud the Mixers for also finding ways while PJ Simon (6/16), James Yap (4/14) and Joe DeVance (2/13) were figuring in their own mini brick fest (Mixers finished with an ugly 28/80 from the field while Aces had 27/76).

The ugly scoring clips were more because every shot was contested, pretty much because both teams were running the same sets and the players were familiar enough with who was going where. To this we have long argued that to beat Cone and the Mixers, the Aces need to come up with something fresh. Not that they shy away from running the Triangle Offense altogether, but to explore their options. Run some more pick and rolls, or Abueva's freelance "set a pick down low for the big man (it ruins the spacing, but it does free up the centre somewhat)" plays. Casio and Jazul will also benefit from a barrage of bone crushing picks and screens-- we say, let the Mixers' guards chase them around. We doubt DeVance and Pingris would be all too fond of chasing the little guys through the baseline (Rip Hamilton, Reggie Miller style) where Abueva and Gabby Espinas are more than willing to provide an extra elbow, forearm, leg or two.

So that's 75-68 and 83-82 in favor of the Mixers in the eliminations, followed by last night's 71-69 Game 1.

Either the Aces learn now and win Game 2, or we are headed for the Mixers going straight to the Finals to defend their PBA Commissioner's Cup title.