PBA: Dondon Hontiveros unchained

All veteran Dondon Hontiveros could do was watch helplessly on the bench, while nothing was going right for the Alaska Aces. With every clanked shot from inside or the perimeter, Rain or Shine gained more confidence. With every foiled attempt on a Robert Dozier attack, Bruno Sundov inched closer and closer to becoming the best import of the conference. With every turnover, the Elasto Painters’ Gabe Norwood, Paul Lee and Jeff Chan left their opponents in the dust. It was the kind of nightmare that every coach must wake up to with cold sweats. Rain or Shine’s coach Yeng Guiao was ready for every move that Alaska’s Luigi Trillo had up his sleeve. On every Dozier drive, two Elasto Painters were there to meet him. Each perimeter shot by an Ace, whether from Jvee Casio or Cyrus Baguio, was challenged. And with the rebound secured, Rain or Shine's guards were running to the other side. It was a series of classic “nakaw plays” that every playground baller has known and perfected. With the frustration mounting and nothing going right, the Aces limped to locker room at halftime down 44-27. Time was running out, and the hopes and dreams of a first place finish and a statement win for the Aces were drawing farther and farther away. With the RoS lead standing pat entering the fourth quarter, Alaska was running out of time. Nothing was working. Their Triangle Offense was more like a trapezoid with jagged edges. When all else fails, sometimes you just have to play. And sometimes you have to let the players on the floor figure things out.      Sometimes, you just have to let it fly. So Trillo inserted Hontiveros into the mix. The veteran, acquired by Alaska at the start of the season, has seen it all in his 13 years in the PBA. His role off the bench was to provide stability and leadership in the second unit, and help maintain leads until the starters could come in and finish this job. But tonight was different. Hontiveros surveyed the floor, and saw that his backcourt mates had not hit a shot all day long. So the Cebuano Hotshot decided to go supernova. It started with the three's. Wet, wet, wet. Some were in the flow of Alaska’s offense. Some were heat checks. It didn’t matter. The summer heat was hot as hell. But inside the Big Dome, Hontiveros was on fire. He was only getting started. More than his perimeter shots, his confidence seeped into his teammates. Soon, Casio joined the comeback. And with the Aces being unable to miss, their talented import Robert Dozier was able to carve more space and flex his muscles down low. What was once a 17-point deficit was erased. Hontiveros was unconscious. Not even the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 29 could have beaten him. When the final horn sounded, even as the game went into overtime, Hontiveros dragged Alaska up from the grave and led the Aces to one of the greatest comebacks this season, an 89-84 victory. He ended up going 7-of-10 from distance, and scattered 18 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. It was a performance for the ages. With every booming triple Hontiveros made, he reminded fans everywhere of the great days he had as one of the elite shooting guards for those dominant Tanduay and San Miguel teams. That unlimited range from outside. That classic “takbong mayaman” that deflated opponents. [Related: Hontiveros heats up to give Alaska another win against Rain or Shine in OT] The jerseys and numbers may have changed over the years, but the ability to capture the moment and perform on the biggest stage hasn’t. We were reminded how physical talent may diminish over the years, but confidence and hard work can never be taken away. Dondon Hontiveros showed everyone on the floor that sometimes all it takes to change an outcome is to have your own ending prepared. Your own finishing kick. Your own killer line. Hontiveros is 35-years-old. This type of performance from the Cebuano Hotshot cannot be expected on a regular basis. His shots may not fall through every single game like tonight. His teammates will need to be ready to fine-tune their skills and bounce back in the next game. But Hontiveros has shown that he will always be ready when called upon. His legacy in the PBA as one of its greatest guards is secure. He has created so many memories with his outside shooting, leadership and confidence. And, as everyone learned last night, he is still not done creating them. - AMD, GMA News