Reliving the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals: Key Moments and Highlights
I still remember the electricity in the Smart-Araneta Coliseum that night in July 2013. The air was thick with anticipation - you could practically taste the championship tension. As someone who's covered Philippine basketball for over a decade, I've witnessed countless finals, but this Commissioner's Cup showdown between Alaska and Barangay Ginebra had that special feeling from the opening tip-off.
The series had been building to this crescendo for weeks. Alaska, led by coach Luigi Trillo, had fought through a challenging conference while Ginebra, under Alfrancis Chua, brought their legendary fan army that turned every game into a sea of red. What made this particularly compelling was watching Alaska's import Robert Dozier go head-to-head with Ginebra's Vernon Macklin - two NBA-caliber big men battling for PBA supremacy. The teams had traded blows throughout the series, but Game 5 would decide everything.
What stands out most vividly in my memory is how Alaska clawed back from what seemed like certain defeat. They were down by 13 points in the third quarter, and honestly, I thought they were done. The Ginebra crowd was roaring, their famous "Never Say Die" chants echoing through the arena. But then something shifted. Dozier started dominating the paint, JVee Casio hit some clutch threes, and suddenly Alaska was within striking distance. The momentum swing was so dramatic you could feel the entire coliseum holding its breath during those final minutes.
I'll never forget watching Cyrus Baguio drive to the basket with less than two minutes remaining. The place erupted when his layup dropped, putting Alaska up by four. But the real story was happening off the court that night. Alaska's key player, Sonny Thoss, had his family secretly flown in from Papua New Guinea for the championship game. The emotional weight of that moment still gives me chills thinking about it. After the final buzzer sounded with Alaska winning 83-80, Thoss spotted his family in the crowd and broke down in tears. He later told reporters, "They surprised me, actually. I didn't know they were coming and it makes it even sweeter. I thank them for always having my back and it means a lot to have them watch the most important game of my life." That raw, human moment perfectly captured what makes sports so compelling - it's never just about the game itself.
Looking back at the statistics, Dozier finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds while Macklin put up 22 points for Ginebra. But numbers don't tell the whole story. What made Alaska's victory so memorable was their defensive intensity in the final quarter, holding Ginebra to just 15 points when it mattered most. Personally, I've always believed defense wins championships, and this game proved it. The Alaska Aces demonstrated incredible poise under pressure, something I've rarely seen in my years covering the PBA.
The legacy of that 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals continues to resonate today. For Alaska fans, it represented the franchise's 14th championship and last title before their recent rebranding. For Ginebra supporters, it became another chapter in their long history of dramatic finals appearances. Every time I rewatch highlights from that series, I'm struck by how different the PBA landscape was back then - only 10 teams competing, different import rules, and a noticeably faster pace of play compared to today's more methodical style.
Reliving the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals reminds me why I fell in love with covering basketball in the first place. Beyond the statistics and strategy, it's these human stories that endure - the unexpected family reunions, the comebacks against impossible odds, the raw emotion of athletes achieving their dreams. That night in 2013 wasn't just about basketball; it was about everything that makes sports worth watching. Even now, nearly a decade later, I can close my eyes and still hear the final buzzer, still see the confetti falling, and still feel the collective gasp when Thoss embraced his family. Some games you cover professionally, and others stay with you personally - this was definitely the latter.
