BARAKO BULL STUNS SAN MIG COFFEE
Barako Bull came back from a 16-point grave and escaped with a 92-90 nail-biter against San Mig Super Coffee Tuesday, blemishing the Mixers’ perfect record in the 2014 PLDT Home TVolution PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Ronjay Buenafe canned two nerve-wracking free throws in the final 7.2 seconds to give the Energy a precarious two-point edge, as Mark Barroca missed his signature right-handed floater at the buzzer, giving Barako Bull its second win in six games.
“Tsamba lang,” said Barako Bull coach Bong Ramos. “First, I want to give glory to God for allowing us to get that win.”
“My players continued to follow the game plan. We prepared our gameplan for this team because they are very fluid in their triangle offense and in their interior offense. We couldn’t match them man-for-man and that’s why we tried to make some adjustments by putting them away from their comfort zones,” he said.
“I know it’s an upset. Tsamba lang talaga,” Ramos added.
Joshua Dollard had a double-double of 32 points and 17 rebounds, including the lead-swinging trey in the final 1:15 to put the Energy ahead, 90-88.
San Mig Coffee’s Peter June Simon once again tied the score at 90 in a fastbreak play, but he fouled Buenafe in an inbounds play with 7.2 ticks to play, setting the stage for the game-winning freebies.
Willie Miller also finished with a double-double of 19 points, 13 coming in the fourth, and 10 assists, and also got his 800th career three-pointer with his lone conversion from rainbow country in the third quarter.
“He played good tonight, that’s why I did not relieve him anymore. When I put him inside nung third quarter, di ko na sya pinalitan. Nag-step up siya for us,” Ramos said of the two-time PBA MVP.
San Mig Coffee broke the game wide open in the third quarter, leading by 16, 78-62, highlighted by a 13-0 splurge to finish the period.
But the Energy answered right back at the start the fourth, with a 16-0 blast powered by Miller and Dollard to knot the score at 78, holding San Mig scoreless for almost six minutes in the payoff period.
Miller and Dollard combined for 26 of Barako Bull’s 30 points in the fourth, as they outscored the Coffee Mixers who could only muster 12.
Curiously, Barako Bull’s two wins came at the expense of the two Philippine Cup finalists San Mig Coffee and Rain or Shine.
James Mays had a monster 20 points and 21 boards to lead the Mixers, which now falls at 3-1.
Joe Devance had 17 markers, while Peter June Simon corralled 16 for San Mig Coffee. (RL)
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