The Aces are on a 6-games losing streak because...

(c) PBA Media Bureau

Alaska received their sixth straight loss yesterday. The injury bug is one of the primary reason of their struggles but the problem is more than that.

Let us check the first and third quarter of their game yesterday and see for yourselves.

(C) Sports5

- In the first three minutes of the game, the offense of Alaska struggled. It was mind-boggling to see that they did not run even a single set through Cory Jefferson, the only above-average playmaker in white uniform.

- The game was still close after we pass the halfway mark of the quarter, but the lack of a playmaker on the Aces side will catch up with them, soon. I also saw a little bit of confusion on their defense because they have let two open three-pointers in the first six minutes, alone. Racal did his job of hitting corner threes. 

- The play @ 14:24 (video time) is the epitome of the confusion on the defense of Alaska. The deliberate slow cuts of Santos and Rhodes in the middle dizzies Enciso who let Alex open.

- At the last six minutes of the quarter, we saw the effect of having an above-average local playmaker in the Alaska offense. Chris Banchero was solid in creating and finding his open teammates. San Miguel was hitting the small opening outside shots.

- The game was close at the end of the quarter, 25-24 SMB.

(c) Sports5

- Cory Jefferson hit 5 of the first 7 points of the Aces in the first 65 seconds. Alaska better run their plays through him, right? No, in their next five sets, Cory only created once and he scored two, via free-throws.

- Ross and Cabagnot clicked for two simple drive and kick plays with Ross as the slasher and Cabagnot as the shooter. Actually, he hit three three-pointers from the left corner. Exciminiano gave him the small openings that he needed because he was over-helping.

- In the first six minutes of the third quarter, the lack of playmaking finally catch-up with the Aces. Their defense is not that bad but the Beermen is the kind of team that can take advantage of small openings.

- With a fresh Junemar on the floor, the Beermen out-hustled the Aces in the 6-4 minutes game time. Alaska continue to make a lot of passes and shooting guarded shots instead of letting Jefferson open things up.

- In the last three minutes, Manuel and Thoss were on the floor but they never run a post-up for the two.

OVERALL
- Alaska played a good game but San Miguel flexed their superiority.

- One primary reason of their demise is the questionable gameplan of the Aces. Cory can create plays but the plays that they run through him were very few.

- Their defense also failed to close out the small openings that the Beermen burned. Confusions were rampant throughout the game. 
- Finally, those two quarters proved that missing Casio and Abueva affected the play of the team. The lack of playmakers doomed them.