PBA: Tim Cone lauds Purefoods backups in easy win vs Alaska

Even without Peter June Simon, Yousef Taha, and Ian Sangalang, Purefoods posted a dominant 108-88 victory against Philippine Cup runners-up Alaska on Tuesday.

And for coach Tim Cone, it was all thanks to his second unit guards Alex Mallari, Allein Maliksi, and Justin Melton, who rose to the challenge of filling in for their absent teammates.

"Alex and Justin, Allein, they're all playing really good basketball," the coach told reporters in the post-game press conference.

Mallari, who took the role of Simon in the starting lineup, did not disappoint with his strong performance of 17 points and also bagged the Best Player honors.

Maliksi added 11 points from a perfect 4-of-4 clip including three treys, while Melton had nine points and four assists to provide additional boost for the Hotshots.

"That's what's team is about -  you lose a guy, two guys step into the fight. Alex and Justin and Allein really stepped up for us," Cone said about his bench players.

Starting guard Simon, who also missed the first game due to back spasms, warmed up for Purefoods but did not step into the court as he still lacks his usual explosiveness while still recuperating from the injury.

Big man Sangalang is sidelined for the rest of the season due to a knee injury dating back from the first conference, while Taha served his second game of suspension after punching Rain or Shine import Rick Jackson in a tune-up game.

Despite the absence of three key players, Purefoods cruised to the victory after taking a commanding 57-35 lead at halftime. Star players James Yap, Marc Pingris, and import Marqus Blakely all delivered double digit performances for the Hotshots, but the bench provided solid support that enabled them to maintain their distance.

"I was at the edge of my seat the whole game," Cone said. "I watched how many times Alaska came back from 20-point lead. We were very aware of that, and I thought the guys did a good job of keeping the pressure on." —JST, GMA News