PBA finals: Aces take Game 1 from Phone Pals, 113-85

The Alaska Aces made mincemeat of the hapless Talk 'N' Text Phone Pals, scoring an emphatic 113-85 victory in Game 1 the finals of the 2007 Talk 'N' Text PBA Fiesta Conference staged Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. Meanwhile, the Red Bull Barakos pushed the San Miguel Beermen out the third spot, winning 103-96, in the game that preceded the finals battle. Alaska point-guard Mike Cortez was named Player na Walang Katulad for scoring 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 rebounds. Cortez showed phenomenal playing especially in the third quarter as the Aces raced to a comfortable 24-point lead, ending the period with a score at 87-63. In the first quarter, the Phone Pals actually took the lead by 12 points, scoring 28-16. But in the second quarter, the Aces went into a shooting spree that put them in a 3-point lead, 45-42, at the half. Aces coach Tim Cone praised his boys for the easy victory, saying: "It was a statement game for us. My boys proved that offensively we can match up against the Phone Pals. We hope to continue with our good play and get the next three games of the series. Game 2 of the best-of-seven finals will also be held at the Araneta Coliseum. - GMANews.TV