PBA: Alaska 'hoping to be David' to San Miguel's Goliath - Compton

Right before the finals series started, Alaska head coach Alex Compton recognized an undeniable truth - the Aces were clear underdogs against the talented San Miguel Beermen.

Never mind that they are one of the only two teams that beat the top seed in the eliminations. San Miguel still has June Mar Fajardo, arguably the best center in the league, while recently-traded southpaw shooter Alex Cabagnot added depth to their offense.

Come finals, however, the Aces found themselves fighting toe-to-toe against the Beermen, who were fresh from a rare 4-0 sweep of Talk 'n Text in the semifinals. Alaska avoided the Tropang Texters' fate, snagging two games right under the nose of San Miguel after erasing 20-point deficits and turning the tables in the endgame.

But Compton does not forget. Half-way through the series, it is obvious that San Miguel is the more dominant team, mounting leads that sometimes they were able to chase, sometimes not.

In Game Five, the tide appeared to have receded. A silver lining.

"We're knocking on the door. We're right there," said the coach, who was pleased with his wards' performance despite losing 93-88 in the crucial match that sent them down 2-3 in the best-of-seven series.

For the first time in the finals, Alaska did not trail at halftime and prevented an early collapse. The Aces matched every play of the Beermen for three quarters, ending the first half 41-all and the third frame 71-all. Even when SMB led thinly during crunch time, his charges never gave up until the buzzer sounded.

Alaska grabbed more rebounds, 54-40, despite the towering presence of the 6-foot-10 Fajardo under the rim for San Miguel. They also matched the Beermen's points in the paint, 34-34, despite suffering 10 blocks.

"If we can keep on attacking the basket, go to the line more, play with that kind of intensity, we'll give ourselves a chance every game," Compton said.

With Friday night's loss, the Aces are facing the seemingly insurmountable task of winning two consecutive games against San Miguel. But for the coach, their odds have not changed at all since day one.

"They're still Goliath. We're hoping to be David," he said. - RAF, GMA News