FLAT-OUT HARDCOURT BATTLE SUNDAY AT BIG DOME

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For both the Petron Blaze Boosters and the San Mig Coffee Mixers, Game Four was a learning experience and motivation that could boost their drives in the homestretch of the series.

“Interestingly enough, even though we won Game Four, it still felt like a loss to us because of our poor second-half play. The good news is that it’s again another reminder of how well we have to play to beat Petron,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.

“No excuses. We take responsibility for what happened in the last game as a team. Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn,” said Petron coach Gee Abanilla.

They’re now engaged in a virtual best-of-three battle, and they are expected to go flat out in their crucial Sunday faceoff in the PLDT Telpad PBA Governors’ Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

At stake in the 4:45 p.m. tiff is the pivotal 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven playoff.

“No doubt, we need to go into Game Five firing on all cylinders if we hope to take the lead in this series,” Cone said.

“We just have to take care of business. We have to cherish every moment of the up coming games and enjoy the ride,” said Abanilla.

San Mig Coffee pulled off a Houdini act in Game Four Friday, avoiding crashing down to a 1-3 hole and paving the way for a pulsating finish of the series.

The Mixers survived a fourth-quarter collapse, leaning on key free throws by guards Mark Barroca, PJ Simon and Alex Mallari in the crunch to overcome the late-charging Boosters, 88-86, and send the series back to scratch after four games.

Petron triumphed in Games One and Three while San Mig Coffee got even in Games Two and Four.

The two are expected to go hammer and tongs at each other in disputing the critical 3-2 series lead.

“We’ll come out prepared Sunday. We’re going to play a heads-up game,” said Abanilla.

“We look forward to that game,” said Cone.

Considering Game Four as a do-or-die game, Cone stuck with his big guns, playing practically just seven men –Marqus Blakely, Marc Pingris, James Yap, Mark Barroca, PJ Simon, Joe Devance and Alex Mallari – to again stop the Boosters on their tracks.

The Mixers did a great job in the first half then tapered off and faced a big scare at endgame.

Elijah Millsap and Junmar Fajardo delivered the bulk of their huge production in the final half as the Boosters rallied from an early 28-point deficit and dragged the Mixers to a battle in the crunch.

Millsap led all scorers with 33 points that went with 11 rebounds, six steals, four assists and one block while Fajardo came through with 26 boards and 20 markers in the biggest double-double game by any local player in a championship game in years.

The Mixers, however, weathered the biggest storm they faced in the conference and thus kept a solid chance at nailing a 10th crown for the franchise.

San Mig Coffee salvaged Game Four though badly beaten in rebounding, 45-61, and notwithstanding another woeful shooting by Blakely from the stripe (8-of-18).

Its dream start proved to be a big difference. (SB)

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