The night could not have come better for Kevin Alas after putting up a performance that may have signified his return to full form following a third ACL injury sustained almost two years ago.
Alas put up 26 points on top of five rebounds, three assists and two steals on Wednesday in NLEX’s 87-81 victory over Phoenix in the PBA Philippine Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium. ‘Playing well is all God’s grace,’ Alas said after helping NLEX climb up to 2-1 to join three others atop the standings.
His fine play came on the same day Alas and wife Selina celebrated their wedding anniversary, making the occasion doubly special.
It was Alas’ highest scoring output since the 2022-23 season when he was in perhaps the best form of his PBA career.
But an ACL tear in his left knee in November 2023 sidelined him for a year, before spending last season undergoing an adjustment period. Prior to the Philippine Cup, Alas said there was no excuse for him not to play well this season. ‘The practices that Coach Jong [Uichico] held two months before the season helped a lot,’ said Alas, who is also setting goals other than for himself.
‘My personal goal for the team is to be a consistent playoff team and, of course, make the semifinals,’ he added. ‘We’re not as talented as the championship-contending teams, but our chance to compete with those teams is to be consistent with our system.’
Alas was a big reason why NLEX led by 15 at the half, before also knocking down crucial shots down the stretch that prevented Phoenix from completing its comeback in the fourth.