GRAND SLAM A HEARTBEAT AWAY AS SAN MIG WINS GAME OF STOPS

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After the two teams split the first two games fighting big shots after big shots, San Mig Super Coffee beat out Rain or Shine in a game of stops to move within a heartbeat of a grand slam championship.

Reestablishing control on a key run midway through the fourth quarter, the Mixers then engaged the E-Painters in a defensive battle, pulling off a 78-69 victory that pushed them 2-1 up in the PLDT Home Telpad PBA Governors’ Cup best-of-five Finals Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Ian Sangalang came through with a brief shining moment in the fourth quarter, enough to spark the momentum that carried the Mixers to the decisive victory cheered on by the predominantly San Mig crowd of nearly 18,000.

“It’s not a game of big shots. It’s more of a game of big stops,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.

“It’s a battle all the way tonight and we really had to earn it,” added Cone, refusing to talk about the grand slam yet.

“You can’t talk about it till it’s done. We can’t afford that as we’re facing the mentally strongest team that we can play. They just don’t break down,” said Cone. “They compete in every possession. You just continue to battle and can’t take a play off. The moment you do, you’re in trouble.”

Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao said they would stop to battle only when the war is over.

“We’re down 1-2 but I don’t think it’s the end. I don’t think it’s ending (Monday),” said Guiao. “We also fell behind 1-2 against Alaska and we won the next two games. We hope to do the same thing here.”

The Mixers drove the wedge, 74-64, with a 16-5 binge, then held the Elasto Painters to only five points in the last six minutes of the game.

“They played with a lot of energy and aggressiveness. I’m not happy the way we came out. We had a chance and we turned the ball over five times. It’s just terrible mental lapse,” rued Guiao.

Sangalang made a big impact in scoring eight of his 13 points in their decisive fourth quarter assault.

He drew warm applause from his teammates and the San Mig fans as he was finally given a rest by Joe Devance with 4:03 left to play.

The Mixers scored the next two baskets and sealed the win that sent them to within a win of a first PBA grand slam championship in 18 years.

Marqus Blakely, Joe Devance and PJ Simon had their own moments as the Mixers overcame Reid’s 31-point explosion.

No other Rain or Shine player scored in double figures in the contest dominated by the Mixers early on before the E-Painters made their biggest move and seized the lead at 59-58.

It was a brief ride on top for the E-Painters, though, as Sangalang came to the fore for San Mig.(SB)

The scores:

SAN MIG SUPER COFFEE 78 – Blakely 17, Sangalang 13, Devance 10, Simon 10, Pingris 7, Yap 7, Barroca 6, Reavis 6, Melton 2, Maliksi 0.

RAIN OR SHINE 69 – Reid 31, Belga 8, Cruz 6, Arana 6, Almazan 4, Chan 4, Tiu 3, Ibanes 2, Lee 2, Norwood 2, Rodriguez 1, Tang 0, Nuyles 0.

Quarterscores: 17-14, 39-30, 58-55, 78-69

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