Vic Manuel's breakout conference came to an abrupt end as the Alaska Aces bowed down to the San Miguel Beermen in the Commissioner's Cup semifinals.
Despite failing to put a stop to their two-year finals drought, the Muscle Man was still proud of what the undermanned Aces have achieved.
"A lot of things happened to our team, it was messy. We encountered several problems but we fought until we reached the semis," Manuel said after their 104-99 Game 4 loss to the Beermen on Sunday.
Alaska played most of the import-laden conference without Calvin Abueva who was slapped with an indefinite suspension due to repeated absences. They also missed the services of Jeron Teng for a stretch as he recovered from stab wounds following an off-court brawl. Then in the semifinals, Chris Banchero was not able to suit up due to a family emergency.
With a depleted lineup, the responsibility of carrying most of the Aces' offensive load fell on the shoulders of Manuel. The veteran forward delivered, propelling his team to a seven-game winning run that landed them with the second seed.
He averaged 24.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, leading the Best Player of the Conference race at end of the elimination round. He even scored at least 20 points for 11 straight games. But alas, they found themselves stumbling at the hands of the defending champions.
Manuel would have wanted to extend his conference all the way to the championship stage but he insists that he's satisfied with the result of their hard work, given the unfortunate circumstances.
"We didn't get lucky to reach the finals but we all helped each other to reach this point. It's not just me," he said. "I'm happy with what I showed. I'm okay with that. We entered the semis and even if we fell short, I'm content with that."
All Manuel and the Aces can do now is use this tough experience as motivation when they resume their bid in the Governor's Cup.
"It doesn't end here, there are next conferences. Every game, I make sure that I'm ready. I will continue to do what would best help our team," expressed Manuel.
"Hopefully next conference, there won't be any problems. We'll prepare well," he added. "If we reached the semis now, our goal next conference is to return to the finals but we'll take it step by step."