Devance faces former team for the first time since trade

Games Wednesday
Araneta Coliseum
5:00 p.m.- Air21 vs. Powerade
7:15 p.m.- Derby Ace vs. Alaska

Joe Devance faces his former team as the Derby Ace Llamados look to extend the misery of the Alaska Aces when the two squads play each other today in the main game of the 36th PBA Governors’ Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Aces have yet to win since trading Devance away, losing their first two games and is hard-pressed to end the slide to avoid early elimination.

Alaska is one of the three teams that has yet to win in the season-ending tournament.

The two other winless squads, the Air21 Express and the Powerade Tigers, go up against each other in the first game.

Sporting 0-2 (win-loss) cards, Alaska, Air21 and Powerade are tied for the seventh to ninth places—spots that the competing teams are trying to avoid since the number seven to nine teams after the elimination round will be booted out.

Derby Ace started the tournament with an 82-95 loss to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters but recovered in their next outing with a 103-90 triumph against the Tigers.

Devance figured prominently in that victory, scoring 21 points to ably back Peter June Simon, who exploded for 33 points.

Devance was first traded by the Aces to the Express in exchange for Jay-ar Reyes and future draft pick. The versatile Fil-Am forward was then shipped to the Llamados in favor of KG Cañaleta and Jondan Salvador.