PBA: San Mig Coffee steals Game 3 for 2-1 series lead

Jane Bracher

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The San Mig Super Coffee Mixers turned the tables on the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters for a 77-76 game 3 win and 2-1 series lead

RIGHT MIX. James Yap's 11-point 3rd quarter helped San Mig Coffee stay in the game as other Mixers stepped up to get the win. Photo by Nuki Sabio/PBA Images

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The San Mig Super Coffee Mixers turned the tables on the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Wednesday, February 19.

After Rain or Shine led by one point in each of the first 3 quarters (20-19, 39-38, 64-63), the Mixers decided that one point is all they really needed as well, as they escaped with the victory, 77-76, in Game 3 of the best-of-7 Finals of the PLDT Home DSL Philippine Cup at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

“That was a really tough one to be a part of,” Mixers head coach Tim Cone said after the game. “Really shaking right now.”

James Yap, who was in foul trouble early in the game, took over for San Mig midway in the third quarter, going on a 6-0 solo blitz to knock on Rain or Shine’s doors, 54-52.

He later made a go-ahead stepback triple with 3:14 left in the third to make it a 55-54 lead. It was early in that canto when Yap picked up his fourth foul but he lasted until early in the fourth before he got called for his fifth foul. At which point, he had already done his job and his teammates continued what he had started.

Cone explained the decision to keep Yap in the game in spite of his foul trouble.

“The coaches were telling me, ‘He got 4, he got 4.’ And I said, you know what, what are we saving him for? We’re gonna save him for another whole quarter again? Leave him out there and let him play, see if he can last.”

He added: “He gave us enough of an edge that a lot of other guys just stepped up and filled the void.”

Yap finished with 13 points and 5 rebounds. He poured 11 of his total points in the third.

With the game swinging back and forth, each of the teams needed someone to step up and make the baskets for some extra cushion.

Fortunately for the Mixers, they had Joe Devance providing 4 straight points near the 3-minute mark of the payoff period to stack a slightly comfortable 3-point edge, 77-74.


Jervy Cruz then scored his 10th point and the Painters’ last two for the game with 1:25 left before Jeff Chan, who had 11 markers, heaved a shot from way out in the last 10 seconds, which only bounced off the rim.

“I felt for the first time tonight that our guys played tired,” Cone said of his team, who played a lackluster first half but were able to build some semblance of momentum with PJ Simon and Alex Mallari conspiring for two triples as time wound down toward the break.

“I thought the two 3-point shots at the end of the half was crucial for us this game,” Cone explained. “We weren’t playing well in that first half and sometimes you have to make a couple of big shots to keep yourself in the game and we did that.”

He added how the third canto was also pivotal for his team, whom he also said he let loose and trusted this time around, instead of reining them in for every play.

“They came out to start that third quarter and they were like a house on fire.”

Their energy, perhaps fueled by adrenaline, also came at a cost as the Mixers were marred with 21 turnovers, allowing the Painters to extract 21 points from them. But rebounding went the way of San Mig, 49-39, with Rafi Reavis collaring 11 boards.

Rain or Shine’s Paul Lee scattered points to end up with 23, but had only two markers in the final period.

Game 4 will be played on Friday, February 21 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

Scores:

San Mig Super Coffee (77): Simon 14, Devance 13, Yap 13, Sangalang 12, Barroca 8, Pingris 7, Mallari 5, Reavis 4, Melton 1, De Ocampo 0.

Rain or Shine (76): Lee 23, Chan 11, Cruz 10, Almazan 7, Belga 6, Rodriguez 6, Quinahan 5, Norwood 4, Tiu 2, Ibanes 2, Tang 0, Teng 0.

Quarterscores: 19-20, 38-39, 63-64, 77-76.

– Rappler.com

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