Fastbreak: San Mig eliminate Air21, Rain or Shine’s paint job on TNT

Enzo Flojo

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Basketball writer Enzo Flojo breaks down the highs and lows of Saturday night's PBA games

San Mig Super Coffee over Air 21, 67-60

CHASING GLORY. Marc Pingris of San Mig Coffee and Asi Taulava of Air21 chase down a loose ball. Photo by Nuki Sabio/PBA Images 

The Best: In the absence of key player James Yap, the Mixers got hefty outputs from erstwhile subs PJ Simon and Yancy De Ocampo. Simon, who usually comes off the pine to spell Yap, drilled in 7 of 13 field goals on his way to a team-high 20 points. He also added 6 rebounds and 1 assist in a sterling effort. De Ocampo, meanwhile, started at the slot and contributed heavily with a 12-point, 12-rebound game. He shot 6/12 from the floor and also blocked 1 shot. Just like other veteran bigs, it looks like Yancy wants to prove a point to the league’s crop of new, young centers.

The Worst: Air 21’s Joseph Yeo was shackled in this game. Prior to this encounter, he was doing so well, averaging around 14 points and more than 6 assists per game. He wasn’t nearly as effective against the Mixers. Yeo shot 2/10 from the field, finishing with just 9 points on top of 4 assists. He also had 4 turnovers.

New Year’s Resolve: After a really slow start to the season, it seems like the Mixers have turned over a new leaf. They have won four of their last six games, including going undefeated so far in 2014. Mark Barroca’s play has been a big factor in that run, but one cannot discount the effect of one Marc Pingris, too. They’re in the thick of the playoff race, but it’ll be very interesting to see how far coach Tim Cone can take his squad without superstar James Yap.

  

Rain or Shine over Talk N Text, 90-88

LOCAL CALL. Ranidel De Ocampo rolls in a layup for two. Photo by Nuki Sabio/PBA Images

The Best: Last week, it was RoS rookie Raymond Almazan who shone, but this time his “elders” were the ones who took center stage. JR Quiñahan and Beau Belga, the duo dubber “Extra Rice Inc.” who could pass for brutish pro wrestlers, combined to score 35 points against TNT. As a pair, they shot 4 triples and 14/25 FGs overall. They had some trouble trying to contain TNT’s Ranidel De Ocampo, who exploded for 24 points and 13 rebounds, but, hey, they were the ones who ended up with the W. More importantly, the Painters remained in second place with a solid chance at securing one of the coveted twice-to-beat advantages in the next round.

The Worst: TNT struggled without Kelly Williams, who was placed in the injured reserve last January 10. Without Kelly’s size and athleticism, the Texters struggled mightily containing the burly ROS frontcourt. Sean Anthony, Ali Peek, Noy Baclao, and John Ferriols all combined for just 5 points and 10 rebounds.TNT was outrebounded, 55-47, and it was -10 in second-chance points.

Soaring High: Former Adamson Soaring Falcon Alex Nuyles seems to have settled into a groove for ROS. The rookie wingman followed up his 16-point performance against GlobalPort last weekend with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists against the Texters here. He has been a solid contributor post-Christmas Day. In four games since then, Nuyles has put up a player efficiency rating of 26.8 EFF. In fact, he was the one who stayed on the floor late in the fourth, and NOT old reliable Jeff Chan. – Rappler.com

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