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BOWLES BAILS OUT SAN MIG COFFEE IN ENDGAME
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Denzel Bowles has a knack at seizing big moment and winning big game. He pulled one again Saturday night.
Bowles struggled most of the way but rose up in the crunch as defending champion San Mig Coffee squeezed out a 71-69 win over eliminations topnotcher Alaska Milk in the opener of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup best-of-five semifinal showdown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
He knocked in the game’s most important shots, including the game-winner off heavy traffic in the last six seconds of the well-fought contest.
“They had a good game plan coming in. They really stymied our offense as we couldn’t get the ball to Denzel. But Denzel made tough shots in the end. He’s a big game guy; he’s a big moment guy. He knows how to step up in big moment,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone later.
And Cone would not overlook guys like PJ Simon, Mark Barroca, Joe Devance and James Yap who carried the fight for the Mixers early on while Bowles was stifled by the Alaska defense.
“We really need efforts like those dished out by PJ, Mark, Joe, James and the other guys. It’s just one game, and the series would not get easier,” said Cone.
Alaska had a chance to win up to the dying seconds but Jayvee Casio found himself running in between the defenses of Devance and Bowles.
The two teams engaged in eight deadlocks and 13 lead changes. On crucial offensive rebounds, Calvin Abueva knocked in a tough shot tying the count for the last time at 69 with 22.6 ticks left.
Bowles, however, won’t be denied of the moment.
He banged away a third straight basket off a looper with six seconds to go, and the Mixers held on to take the crucial head start in the series.
And it’s 9-0 for Cone in his personal battle with his former team.
“It was a magnificent battle, maybe not pretty because it’s about defense, but it had a lot of heart. Everybody had to bleed for points,” said Cone.
“Every game would be like this – down-to-the-wire, emotional and about who makes the shot in the end,” he added.
For a while, the Aces had looked headed for a first-ever win against Cone as they enjoyed a 64-59 lead with 4:09 left to play.
No team led by more than six in the tight, see-sawing match. However, the Mixers climbed off that hole, taking a key stride towards a possible title repeat.
Bowles was the man of the moment, making seven big-time points after bleeding for only five markers in the first 43 minutes of the rugged, emotional, defensive battle.
Rob Dozier was dominant from the opening tiff until Bowles stole the thunder at the finish.
Bowles came through with only 12 points, 13 rebounds and six assists as against Dozier’s 21 markers, 15 boards and two assists. Dozier, however, was good for only a single basket in the payoff period.
The defensive battle had the two teams holding each other’s shooting below 27 percent in the first half.
San Mig Coffee barely took the half at 24-21 after making only seven markers in the first period – the lowest for the franchise in a quarter in over two seasons.
And it was the lowest scoring first half since Purefoods and Sta. Lucia combined for 40 in a game in 2005. (SB)
The scores:
SAN MIG COFFEE 71 – Simon 15, Barroca 13, Bowles 12, Yap 10, Devance 6, Gonzales 5, Pingris 5, Reavis 2, De Ocampo 2, Mallari 1, Najorda 0.
ALASKA 69 – Dozier 21, Abueva 9, Hontiveros 8, Thoss 7, Baguio 7, Jazul 6, Casio 6, Espinas 5, Dela Cruz 0, Belasco 0.
Quarterscores: 7-11, 24-21, 50-48, 71-69
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