HOW its playoff mentality of late would continue to serve Alaska well would be known today when it tangles with a Phoenix Super LPG side aching to stay alive in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
In the nightcap, San Miguel Beer and Shabazz Muhammad aim for a big turnaround against a Rain or Shine crew bristling to check its own three-game slide and get back in the hunt for playoffs seats.
With a 3-6 record and lying at 10th, the Elasto Painters sorely need to snap out of their slide. Aside from a win tonight, they also need to beat Ginebra on Sunday to get a shot at crashing the quarterfinals.
The main side attraction of the match is how two former NBA campaigners in Muhammad and Henry Walker fare against each other.
Muhammad, who replaced Orlando Johnson, saw his PBA debut spoiled by an 87-104 loss to Magnolia last Sunday, a defeat that dropped SMB into a 5-4 record and a tie for fifth with Ginebra.
The highly-touted import actually did not fare too bad, notching game-highs of 27 points and 17 rebounds. But he needed 28 shots to reach his total.
The Beermen still believe Muhammad would be better for them in the long run than Johnson, however.
As big are the stakes in the opener.
A second straight win by Alaska would jack its record to 7-3 and bring it closer to a top four finish which carries with it a win-once advantage in the quarterfinals
Aces coach Jeff Cariaso even believes the 94-93 squeaker over Meralco, made possible by rookie RK Ilagan draining a last-second jumper, last Saturday would go a long way in bracing his team for the tougher grind just ahead.
“These tough games, for me, are already preparing us for the playoffs,” said Cariaso. “The mentality for us is, we’re in the playoffs already.”
Phoenix is out to at least stall those Alaska plans while stoking its own chances, however.
The Fuel Masters have also lost their last three games and, with a 4-5 slate, are now in danger of being taken out of the race for one of the four remaining slots in the eight-team quarterfinals.
