Not even the outstretched arm of Gabe Freeman of San Miguel could prevent Diamon Simpson and Alaska from winning Game 1 of the PBA Fiesta Conference finals last Friday at the Araneta Coliseum. (Photo by BOB DUNGO, JR.)

Game Sunday (Araneta Coliseum)
6 p.m. — San Miguel vs Alaska

Game 1 of the PBA Fiesta Cup boiled down to execution and Alaska Milk, toughened by two playoff series, got the better of defending champion San Miguel Beer, 89-83, Friday night.

This Sunday, the Aces gun for a 2-0 lead against the Beermen in the lone match at 6 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum.

“We have to go out and try to steal Game 2,” Alaska coach Tim Cone said. “We’ll play as hard as we can, and hopefully, keep the game close, try to win it down the stretch.”

Cone, who helped turn Alaska into one of the most successful PBA franchises, steered the Aces through a pair of grueling series that went down the wire.

Alaska eliminated Barangay Ginebra in five matches in the quarterfinals and held off Talk ‘N Text in seven games in the semifinals.

“We talked about the whole playoffs as being preparation,” Cone said. “We talked that this is our preparation to win a championship.

This will make us tougher, we’ll learn and grow and give us a chance to win a championship.”

Playing their 13th match in a month, the Aces showed little signs of fatigue as they turned a 74-76 deficit to an 84-76 lead following a 10-0 run sparked by LA Tenorio, Joe Devance and Tony dela Cruz.

The win snapped a six-game losing skid against SMB, which won the last six games of classification matches of the last three Fiesta Cup conferences.

It was also the Aces’ first win in the Finals after losing the last two of the 2009 Philippine Cup Finals against Talk ’N Text, and being swept in four matches by Purefoods in the last All-Filipino championship match.

Import Diamon Simpson led Alaska with 28 points and 21 rebounds in 42 minutes of action while Devance and Cyrus Baguio added 14 points each. The 5-foot-9 Tenorio had 13 with five rebounds and eight assists.

SMB got 37 points from best import Gabe Freeman who played only 32 minutes due to foul trouble.

Jay Washington, the Fiesta Cup Best Player, was the only other Beerman who finished in double figures with 16 points and 13 boards with three shot blocks.

Dondon Hontiveros had eight points and Arwind Santos seven with 10 rebounds.

San Miguel mentor Siot Tanquingcen said they failed to execute their plays down the stretch.

“We got to execute better,” he said. “They executed better towards the end and we didn’t. Alaska’s a disciplined team. They execute their stuff really well.”

“Aside from execution, we also have to limit our turnovers. Those are the things that are really glaring, execution especially towards the end and our turnovers,” added Tanquingcen.

The Beermen lapsed into 20 errors which Alaska translated to 17 points.