GRUDGE MATCH
“Gunning for us Part II.”
San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone coined that title for their match with Rain or Shine Saturday, following their faceoff with Barangay Ginebra six days earlier.
“In our last game, we knew Ginebra would come gunning for us, and we know RoS will be doing the same,” said Cone on the eve of the San Mig Coffee-Rain or Shine duel, the 5:15 main aperitif in the Petron Blaze Saturday Special at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Mixers and the Elasto Painters meet again following their PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven title confrontation that the former won in five games.
“We’ve certainly got to meet their intensity and desire if we expect to win. We know each other very well because of the last series. So we’re not expecting any surprises,” said Cone.
“We have a real healthy respect for them. We know from experience how good they are,” Cone added.
In this meeting in the elimination round of the PLDT Home TVolution Commissioner’s Cup, San Mig Coffee is out for a third straight win while Rain or Shine is chasing only a second win in four starts.
Hardly showing championship hangover, the Mixers drubbed the Globalport Batang Pier, 91-75, then repulsed the Barangay Ginebra Kings, 90-80, to start their Commissioner’s Cup campaign.
Rain or Shine, meanwhile, is off to a scrambling start, bowing to Barako Bull, 106-110, bouncing back with a 92-78 rout of Alaska, then falling down against San Miguel Beer, 107-112.
San Mig’s James Mays is more impressive that Rain or Shine’s Alex McLean at least in their initial showings in the local pro league.
Imagine Cone calling Mays “Mr. Everywhere” just in his second game as San Mig Coffee import.
“He’s just everywhere. He’s motor is really high. He’s a tall Rudy Hatfield who gets the loose ball and the loose rebounds,” said Cone of his prized find.
“We didn’t see that in his first game, but we saw that (against Ginebra). He’s a real key in our win,” Cone added. “We can really be a contender this conference with him.”
Putting in just enough effort in his PBA debut against Globalport, Mays raised the level of his game as he needed to against Ginebra, piling up 29 points and the same number of rebounds to lead the Mixers to a second straight win. (SB)
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