SAN MIG COFFEE A WIN FROM 3RD STRAIGHT CROWN
SAN Mig Super Coffee is just one more win away from a very rare feat.
With a hard-earned 77-75 victory over Talk N Text Tuesday, the Mixers moved just one more win away from copping the PLDT Home TVolution PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
James Mays spiked a 20-point, 14-rebound performance with a crucial three-point play and James Yap and Joe Devance delivered the game-clinching points in the dying seconds in the face of an offensive breakdown by the Tropang Texters.
Ahead by 75-71 with just 1:15 to go, TNT went 0-for-3 from the floor apart from a turnover that proved the most costly in the game.
As a result, San Mig went up 2-1 in the best-of-five series and can top a third straight conference should it prevail anew in Game 4 Thursday at the PhilSports Arena.
No team has topped three straight conferences since San Miguel Beer pulled off the feat last during the 2000 and 2001 seasons and history seems to be on San Mig’s side since 17 of the last 21 teams which broke out of a 1-1 tie went on to win such a race-to-three Finals.
Mixers coach Tim Cone is simply glad Game 3, which featured 10 deadlocks and as many lead changes, is over.
“(It’s a) game for the ages, in my book. Two real proud teams that don’t quit, keep fighting,” said Cone. “It was a tremendous game. One big shot after one big shot.”
None was bigger than the fallaway baseline jumper Yap drained to give San Mig the upperhand, with still 28 seconds left.
Ranidel de Ocampo, who finally broke out of his scoring slump in the series, could have added on to his 18 points but misfired on a jumper. The Texters got the offensive board, but De Ocampo himself issued a pass that was way too low for Jayson Castro and went out of the sideline.
Devance then made it a two-point game with a charity and TNT had the chance to at least tie the game in the last 4.8 seconds.
But Castro, formally named the Best Player of the Conference earlier, misfired on his potential game-tying elbow jumper.
Castro still wound up with a game-high 21 points with Nino Canaleta adding 12 points and and Best Import awardee Richard Howell 10 points and a game-high 22 rebounds.
PJ Simon, limited to just four points in a 76-86 Game 2 loss, finished with 17 while Yap added 13 and Devance 10. Marc Pingris only had seven points but snared 10 boards.
“It was a hard-fought game and my guys certainly put in the effort. We just have to put this one behind us, get ready for the next game,” said Black.
Black, however, can’t help but call attention to the fact his team was whistled for a total of 21 fouls, eight more than San Mig.
“I just hope that the game is governed well to give us a fair chance of winning,” said Black. “I just think the contacts should be called evenly on both ends. If you call a foul on one team, the same contact should be called on the other end. “
Still, TNT did put itself in a good situation to win after triples by De Ocampo and Castro gave their team the four-point lead, which replicated the biggest cushion either team had in the last three quarters.
Following a timeout, Mays completed his three-point play that whittled the deficit to just one and started San Mig’s final surge.
“At the end our defense did a big stop, that was really the key,” noted Cone. “One of the best games I’ve been involved. It came down to the last possession, as it should be between these two proud teams.”
The last two minutes of the third quarter actually gave a glimpse of what was to come.
The Texters, who grittily came charging back from an early 9-23 deficit, also enjoyed a 56-52 spread, but Ian Sangalang scored four points and Mays and Alex Mallari also had a basket each during an 8-0 spurt that pushed the Mixers on top, 60-56.
“At certain times we felt the game getting away from us,” admitted Cone. “But somehow somebody makes a big basket, stop their momentum and give us life. That run really gave us belief, that maybe we can hold this one out.” (NC)
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