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Mahindra stuns San Miguel, zooms to 3-0 lead
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Mahindra’s claim to being a legitimate contender in the PBA Governors Cup has just been proven to be well-founded.
James White notched 34 points and 11 rebounds in leading a balanced attack that netted the Enforcer a 105-103 win over defending champion San Miguel Beer Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The victory was the third in as many outings for Mahindra, which realized a 3-0 start for the first time since joining the league prior to the 2014-15 season, and gave it solo leadership in the season-ending tourney.
It also marked the fourth time in as many import-flavored conferences that the team formerly known as Kia upended SMB and assistant coach Chris Gavina said it’s all about his players not buckling under the Beermen’s constant pressure.
“Our guys showed our fortitude,”said Gavina. “We’re approaching every game like a playoff game, so we have to have a do-or-die attitude out there.
“I would like to extend this win out to them. Their sheer determination and level of consistency, discipline and focus came through tonight.”
Gavina added that the presence of playing-coach Manny Pacquiao, who showed up in a Mahindra game for the first time in a long while, also spurred his team.
“He said, ‘Stay focused and stay in the moment,'”was how Gavina described the words the boxing icon and new senator imparted to him. “But his presence alone gave motivation and inspiration to the whole team. Our men want to go to war for him.”
Arizona Reid had a personal conference-high 43 points on top of 11 rebounds, but could not prevent SMB from falling to a 2-1 slate and a tie with Meralco at third-running spot.
It was Reid himself who did the Beermen in by refusing to call the timeout the entire bench and coaches were shouting out for when he received a pass from Alex Cabagnot in the last 14 seconds.
The two-time Best Import instead opted to go for a three-pointer in the last two seconds of play that missed and the entire Mahindra bench, including Pacquiao, erupted in wild celebration.
It was a fitting reward for the Enforcer, who battled the Beermen on practically even terms in the first half, assumed control in the third quarter and had the poise to withstand the latter’s grim efforts to steal the game in the stretch.
Nino Canaleta, Paolo Taha and Keith Agovida each scored 10 points while Aldrech Ramos, Chito Jaime and Mark Yee took turns trying to stymie Reid, forcing the latter to a 17-of-33 field shooting and seven turnovers in all.
Cabagnot, Ryan Arana and Marcio Lassiter each finished in double figures for SMB on a game where June Mar Fajardo struggled against the more agile White and foul trouble but still wound up with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
While White played the lead role overall, his supporting cast provided the finishing touches in the end.
Reid’s reverse put the Beermen ahead 102-101, but Taha scored on a drive and, after Fajardo missed from point blank range, Jaime canned two charities for a three-point Enforcer lead, still 43 ticks left.
Fajardo could only manage a split, but Revilla made everybody at Mahindra cringe when he issued a pass that went to Cabagnot, still 14 seconds to go.
That was when Reid decided to take matters into his own hands.
White scattered eight of his points in the third period, but Canaleta’s two treys and the support provided by Ramos, Taha and Revilla enabled Mahindra to break off from the game’s sixth deadlock at 48-all and erect two 12-point leads, the last at 73-61.
Led by Reid and Fajardo, SMB trimmed the deficit to just 74-81 going to the final canto before White racked up eight more points in a 13-8 exchange which Yee capped with an and-one to jack the lead back up to 94-82.
But the Beermen still had plenty of fight left in them, proven by a 16-3 surge that put them back ahead 98-97 and set up the tight finish.
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